There were times during the early days of ApplyBoard when its founders worried about not having enough money to pay its bills. But they persevered with their efforts to raise capital, and their investors continued to believe in the company’s product and potential. Now ApplyBoard has grown from a handful of employees to 500, and is valued at over $1 billion.
The company’s software product, which provides a one-stop platform for university recruiters to connect with international students, competes in a $150 billion potential market. ApplyBoard plans to reach new markets in the U.K., Latin America and Africa, and to become the dominant player in Southeast Asia. The company’s mission is to make education accessible to students across the world.
In a fireside chat with Chad Bayne, Founder, and Co-Chair, Osler’s Emerging and High Growth Companies Practice, ApplyBoard Co-Founder, and CEO Martin Basiri, discusses:
- his company’s financing challenges
- its approach to investor presentations
- managing both choppy and exponential growth, and
- plans for future expansion.
Martin also recounts his stressful experiences during the early days of the pandemic and the lessons he has learned going forward.