SmartSuite Helps Teams Deliver Work Faster, Better, and Smarter

In today’s enterprise software landscape, organizations face a common challenge that slows work and hampers collaboration: data silos. Different departments use specialized tools that don’t communicate with each other, creating inefficiencies and preventing valuable information and insights from flowing freely across the organization. That’s why we’re excited to announce our investment in SmartSuite, a next-generation work management platform that’s breaking down traditional barriers to cross-functional communication and improved productivity.

Founded by serial entrepreneurs Jon and Tara Darbyshire, SmartSuite brings a fresh approach to enterprise work management. The Darbyshires previously founded Archer Technologies, a leading governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platform that was acquired by EMC in 2010. Their deep understanding of enterprise software needs, combined with their commitment to innovation, made SmartSuite an investment opportunity we couldn’t ignore.

SmartSuite brings together traditional elements of a database, spreadsheet, documents, collaboration tools, file management tools, and automation capabilities in a way that enables teams to deliver work faster, better and smarter. This technical foundation enables organizations to create, manage, analyze and execute their work processes in ways that weren’t previously possible. SmartSuite’s no-code flexibility and over 200 pre-built workflow templates allow teams to quickly set up and customize their workflows, whether they’re managing complex projects or creating new business processes.

The platform serves diverse needs across the enterprise: from core business functions like Sales, Marketing, HR, and Finance, to specialized teams in Software Development, Design, IT, and governance, risk and compliance (GRC). Professional services firms leverage it for client management, while operations teams use it for procurement and business continuity planning. Enterprise customers like Apple Bank, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Credit One Bank, UCLA, Georgetown University, Sunday Riley, Lyneer Staffing Solutions, Datawatch, and UC Berkeley utilize the platform for GRC – a space we know well through previous investments. Beyond traditional enterprise use cases, SmartSuite supports sectors ranging from construction and real estate to food services and nonprofits. Educational institutions, healthcare providers, and venture capital firms have implemented the platform to streamline operations.

This broad adoption validates our thesis about the value of unified data management. When compliance data can inform operational decisions, when marketing insights can enhance product development, when sales data can guide customer success strategies – organizations operate more efficiently. SmartSuite’s architecture ensures that data collected for one purpose can flow seamlessly into other business processes, creating a single source of truth across the enterprise.

From a go-to-market perspective, we’ve been impressed by how SmartSuite has quickly gained market traction and rapid customer adoption by expertly combining product-led growth with enterprise sales. Users can begin with a free tier to experience the platform’s capabilities firsthand. This bottom-up adoption, combined with top-down enterprise sales engagement when teams show significant adoption within an organization, has led to more than 15,000 customers, including hundreds of paying enterprise customers and more than 50,000 users.

At Sorenson Capital, we have a strong track record of backing exceptional founders who have demonstrated their ability to build and scale successful enterprises. The Darbyshires exemplify this profile. Their vision for SmartSuite aligns with where we believe enterprise software is headed: towards platforms that give users the power to configure and customize their own processes while maintaining data integrity across the organization.

As we move into 2025 and beyond, we believe successful software platforms will empower users to configure their own processes while maintaining data consistency across the enterprise. SmartSuite’s combination of powerful task management, flexible data architecture, and intuitive customization puts it at the forefront of this evolution. We’re excited to partner with Jon, Tara, and their team as they continue to transform how organizations manage their work and data.