On this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, host Ben Murray welcomes Luca Cartechini, co-founder and CEO of Shop Circle. With deep roots in equity research and venture capital across the European tech landscape, Luca Cartechini shares how his experiences led to the creation of Shop Circle—an innovative, long-term holding company that acquires and grows mission-critical, profitable SaaS businesses outside the traditional VC and PE model.

Listeners will get insider perspectives on the realities of scaling software companies in fragmented European markets, the metrics that matter most when evaluating SaaS acquisitions, and the evolving role of AI in operational excellence. Whether you’re a founder considering your next move or simply passionate about SaaS, this episode is packed with actionable wisdom on building, buying, and holding vertical software companies for the long haul.

Show Notes:

00:00 "Challenges Scaling European Companies"

03:34 "ShopCircle: AI-Powered Software Platform"

08:51 "AI in Software Acquisitions"

12:06 AI's Role in Business Strategy

14:09 "Pricing, AI, and Value Strategy"

16:58 "Key Metrics for Business Acquisition"

22:28 "Operator-Focused, Long-Term Investment Approach"

25:13 Founder Missteps in Acquisition Process

29:28 Recurring vs. Usage-Based Revenue Analysis

31:51 "SaaS Revenue Analysis for ROI"

36:39 AI-Driven Efficiency and Expansion

Links:

SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/shop-circle-raises-60-million-in-series-b

https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/shop-circle-extends-series-b-to-100-million

Luca Cartechini’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luca-cartechini/

Shop Circle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shop-circle/

Shop Circle’s Website: https://shopcircle.co/

To learn more about Ben check out the links below:

Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

On this episode of The SaaS CFO Podcast, host Ben Murray welcomes Ben Winter, co-founder and COO at Stuut. Ben Winter brings a dynamic background in management consulting, design agencies, and executive leadership roles within scaling SaaS companies. He shares the story behind founding Stuut—an AI-powered platform designed to transform the order-to-cash process for businesses where working capital and collection efficiency are essential.

Ben Winter reveals how Stuut’s AI agents streamline everything from invoice communication to payment collection, targeting verticals like manufacturing, logistics, and medical devices that rely on fast cash cycles. The discussion delves into Stuut’s journey—from early customer pain points to rapid fundraising, the importance of founder–investor alignment, and their innovative approach to go-to-market and brand differentiation in the crowded finance technology space.

Listen in for actionable insights on SaaS metrics, building AI-driven solutions, and lessons learned in scaling an operationally efficient company—straight from a COO who’s at the forefront of fintech innovation.

Show Notes:

00:00 "Automating AR with AI"

05:19 "Optimizing Cash Flow for Growth"

07:11 Evolving CFO Strategies for Collections

12:34 "Delivering Value to Customers"

16:25 In-Person Impact and Clear Value

19:14 "Non-Traditional Marketing Strategies"

21:16 "Digital Coworkers for Collections Teams"

24:09 "AP & AR Strategy Insights"

29:57 "Scaling Efficiently with AI"

31:28 "Rethinking Team Structures Efficiently"

Links:

SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/stuut-technologies-raises-29-5m-series-a

Ben Winter’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengwinter/

Stuut’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stuut/

Stuut’s Website: https://www.stuut.ai/

To learn more about Ben check out the links below:

Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray

Welcome to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, host Ben Murray sits down with Vadim Rogovskiy, CEO and co-founder of Eve, an AI-powered sales enablement tool designed specifically for founders and small business owners. Vadim Rogovskiy shares his unique journey as a serial entrepreneur—from selling and exiting previous startups to launching Eve after discovering the challenges small businesses face managing leads without traditional CRMs.

Together, Ben Murray and Vadim Rogovskiy dive into Eve’s early days, its customer-first approach, the founding story, and how AI is transforming sales for SMBs. You’ll hear insights on fundraising in today’s fast-moving AI market, lessons learned across multiple ventures, and how grassroots, founder-led marketing is key in cutting through industry noise. Whether you’re scaling your SaaS startup or curious about AI’s impact on modern sales and revenue models, this episode is packed with real-world advice and thoughtful analysis on building and growing a successful tech company.

Let’s jump into the conversation!

Show Notes:

00:00 "Building EVE from Event Insights"

03:09 "Startup CRM Challenges and Demand"

08:59 "Sustainable Growth Over Hype"

10:46 "Prioritize IRL and Founder-Led Growth"

14:27 "Founder Discusses Early Fundraising Journey"

18:10 "Qualitative KPIs and User Growth"

20:53 "Achieving Product Market Fit"

Links:

SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/eve-raises-2-million-in-pre-seed-round

Vadim Rogovskiy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vadim-rogovskiy/

Eve AI’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joineveai/

Eve AI’s Website: https://joineve.ai/

To learn more about Ben check out the links below:

Subscribe to Ben’s daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Subscribe to Ben’s SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page

SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/

Join Ben’s SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout

Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray