How Zeal Raised $4M for Their Seed Round with Flowla

Zeal, a fast-growing financial services startup, specializes in providing tailored solutions for SMEs and enterprise clients. Faced with the challenge of managing client presentations and investor relations efficiently, Zeal discovered Flowla. We spoke with the company’s founder, Omar Ebeid, about how the platform became an integral part of their operations, enhancing both internal processes and external communications.

Discovering Flowla

Zeal’s journey with Flowla began unexpectedly. While running a hiring campaign, Zeal received a Flowla link from a recruitment agency. Intrigued by the seamless onboarding experience and the way information was presented, Zeal’s team decided to explore the platform further. The ease of use and potential to streamline their operations convinced them to sign up and integrate Flowla into their workflow.

“I always keep an eye out what the latest technology out there is. And when I opened the Flowla, I really enjoyed the onboarding and how they shared the information that they shared with us. So I ended up checking Flowla.  I got it from the URL and I signed up to it and I ultimately saw the value in it.”

Zeal needed a solution that could streamline the creation and distribution of client presentations while maintaining a high level of customization. With a diverse client base ranging from SMEs to large enterprises, they often found themselves repeatedly adapting the same materials with minor adjustments. This process was time-consuming and prone to errors.

Additionally, as Zeal prepared for a new fundraising round, they required an efficient way to manage and share sensitive information with potential investors. The team needed a secure and organized space to present their data room, including legal documents, financials, and pitch decks, while gaining insights into investor engagement.

“I said, okay, if I put all our data on Flowla which includes our legal documentation, our product, our commercial, our vision, pitch deck, and financials, everything, not only will I be able to see where they're looking at, what they're most likely going to be asking me, but it just makes it easy for them to actually go through it one by one.”

Flowla addressed Zeal’s needs by providing a flexible platform that allowed them to create templates for client presentations, easily customize them for different audiences, and track engagement in real-time. The ability to see where and when clients or investors were interacting with the material added a new layer of intelligence to their outreach efforts.

Flowla’s impact and key benefits

One of the most notable successes came from using Flowla as a data room for investor relations. Zeal’s founder received positive feedback from a VC who appreciated the structured and user-friendly presentation of information within Flowla. This use case, though not originally intended, became a significant value-add, enabling Zeal to manage their fundraising process more effectively.

“Actually, I do have one of our investors who sent me an email saying, by the way, I love your data room. So I don't know if this was a use case that you guys had built it for, but  I definitely think it's a very strong point for the company.”

Overall, Zeal saw a few notable benefits after integrating Flowla:

• Efficiency: Flowla’s template functionality saved time and reduced errors, allowing Zeal to quickly adapt presentations for different clients and scenarios.
• Investor engagement: Using Flowla as a data room provided insights into investor behavior, helping Zeal tailor follow-up communications and better anticipate investor questions.
• Automation: Automated notifications on user activity allowed Zeal’s team to respond promptly without overwhelming their prospects, contributing to a more personalized experience.

• Enhanced collaboration: Flowla enabled Zeal’s team to work more collaboratively by providing a centralized platform for managing and sharing key documents and presentations.

Adoption and feedback

The adoption of Flowla within Zeal was straightforward, thanks to its user-friendly interface. While some team members initially questioned how it would fit into their existing tech stack, the benefits quickly became apparent. 

“I think ultimately it's very easy to use. Obviously salespeople might want to… it depends if you're enforcing it because you want data analytics, because you want to close more deals, etc., they have to be convinced. And once they start using it and they see the value, they will then adopt to it. But it's been relatively easy for us.”

Sales team members working with retailers and SMEs found the platform particularly useful, as it allowed them to efficiently manage and customize presentations. Those handling more complex negotiations with banks and acquirers also appreciated the ability to tailor flows to specific needs.

Interestingly, a feature that initially caught Zeal’s CEO by surprise turned out to be a hidden gem. Flowla’s ability to show other users viewing the same data room sparked a sense of urgency among investors, creating a subtle but effective form of competitive pressure.

“I basically made one data room and I'm sending them all access to that same data room. And what happens is the investors can see on the right-hand side of the flow, who else is looking at this data room. And at the moment I was like, ooh, I didn't mean to make it come across that like… And his reply was actually, this increases the FOMO, it's a good thing.”

Conclusion

Flowla has become an invaluable tool for Zeal, helping them optimize both client engagement and investor relations. The platform’s ease of use, combined with powerful analytics and automation features, has enabled Zeal to operate more efficiently and effectively as they continue to grow. 

By integrating Flowla into their processes, Zeal has not only streamlined their operations but also enhanced their ability to connect with key stakeholders in a meaningful way.