Business

Indianapolis has done some amazing things in SaaS technology markets.  As many readers of this blog know, much of my business law practice focuses on SaaS law, Internet law and funding law.  Most of this is in business-to-business (B2B) SaaS markets.  This week I was thinking about how this is not just true of my practice, but it also is true for Indianapolis as a whole.  Most software companies in Indianapolis are in B2B markets. 

The other two markets are business-to-consumer (B2C) and consumer-to-consumer (C2C). 

The list of successful B2B SaaS or cloud computing companies in Indy is huge.  Examples include ExactTarget, Compendium, BlueLock, Iasta, FormStack, iGoDigital, Aprimo and Cantaloupe, to name a few.  A couple of emerging companies in this field that I expect to be stellar (because I love their applications and leadership teams) are Gauge Telematics and TinderBox.

B2C SaaS companies are those that sell SaaS applications directly to consumers.  In Indianapolis the most popular examples may be Redcats USA and SigmaMicro.  An emerging Indy company in this field is RewardSnap. 

C2C Internet companies are often social media sites.  These are companies built more on rapid scale and person-to-person buy-in than sellable units.  The company value is in the ultimate consumer database rather than pricing for a SaaS application. 

It is clear that the Indianapolis entrepreneurial culture accepts and supports B2B companies.  It is less clear to me how much it supports or fully understands B2C and C2C markets.  I have seen companies in these markets struggle to win peer support or obtain first-money funding locally; Whereas I see coastal investors much more willing to back companies in B2C and C2C markets.