Venture Capital

Talkdesk Secures $230 Million at $10 Billion Valuation

SAN FRANCISCO  Talkdesk, a developer of software for customer contact centers, has closed a massive $230 million series D funding and values the company at more than $10 billion. The company also announced the appointment of Sydney Carey as chief financial officer (CFO).

The funding came from new investors Whale Rock Capital Management, TI Platform Management, and Alpha Square Group; as well as from existing investors Amity Ventures, Franklin Templeton, Top Tier Capital Partners, Viking Global Investors, and Willoughby Capital. In total, Talkdesk has now raised $498 million in funding since inception.

“For many organizations, the contact center is fast becoming a driver of tangible business results and an asset to the bottom line,” said Tiago Paiva, founder and chief executive officer, Talkdesk. “Since its founding, Talkdesk has been challenging the status quo and shaking up the industry’s old world order to make this a reality. We’re grateful for the continued confidence in our strategy and more determined each day of our unique ability to help companies deliver memorable customer experiences, one engagement at a time.”

This new funding will fuel Talkdesk in its second decade of growth as the company remains focused on expanding its international presence, leading with industry-first customer experience (CX) product innovations, delivering white-glove customer service, and creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce.

“I’ve followed the Talkdesk transformation over the years, and to see the company grow from its start at a hackathon into its current valuation of more than $10 billion is impressive,” said Zeus Kerravala, founder and principal analyst, ZK Research. “I estimate that the CCaaS TAM will be around $50 billion in five years, so if Talkdesk keeps executing on its growth plan, the company has a great opportunity to capture a significant portion of market share.”

Talkdesk has also hired SaaS-industry veteran Sydney Carey as CFO. Carey’s appointment also makes Talkdesk a rarity in the tech industry, with half of the positions on its executive leadership team held by women. Carey joins Talkdesk from Sumo Logic, where she successfully led the organization through an initial public offering. Her broad range of financial and operational experience includes executive and board member roles in accounting, financial planning, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations, treasury, facilities, compliance, and IT/business operations.

“As the traditional contact center market transitions to a true cloud, omni-channel platform, we think a leader will emerge to capture a significant share of the market. The Talkdesk industry leading platform is well positioned to be that winner and we are excited to partner with the company for many years to come,” said Andrew Frank, partner, Whale Rock Capital Management.

Talkdesk now has over 2,000 employees.