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Ketera has raised $24.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Ketera.
Ketera has raised $24.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Ketera Technologies delivers SaaS-based enterprise management solutions focused on comprehensive spend management. Its robust platform provides capabilities for application spending analysis, sourcing, contract management, e-procurement, supplier performance, invoicing, content management, payment, and reconciliation. The company’s integrated system enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of source-to-pay processes, providing a centralized approach to managing organizational expenditures.
Established in 1983, Ketera developed its core expertise in addressing complex procurement challenges over several decades. While specific details of its original founders are not publicly available, the company built a significant presence in the spend management sector. It eventually transitioned through an "acqui-hire" process, culminating in its acquisition by Deem in December 2010, which integrated Ketera’s network and solutions into its broader commercial offerings.
Ketera serves a diverse clientele of buying organizations and their vast networks of suppliers, enabling them to utilize network-level analytics for benchmarking and improving business strategies. The company’s vision is centered on fundamentally transforming how businesses conduct buying and selling. By offering powerful, integrated spend management tools, Ketera empowers organizations to achieve greater control and visibility over their spending, thereby fostering more strategic and efficient supplier relationships.
Key people at Ketera.
Ketera Technologies was a technology company that developed on-demand spend management and procurement software solutions to help large and midsized enterprises control and reduce corporate spending.[1][3] It offered modules for spend analysis, sourcing, procurement, payment reconciliation, and contract management, integrated with the Ketera Network—a public marketplace connecting nearly one million buyers and suppliers.[1][3][4] Serving clients like Axciom, Kennametal, and The Washington Post Company, Ketera processed over $107 billion in spend and enabled initiatives for more than 50 clients before its acquisition in 2010 by Rearden Commerce (also referenced as Deem), after raising $63 million from investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Foundation Capital.[1][2][3]
The company demonstrated early growth momentum by establishing a high-caliber engineering center in India around 2002–2005, hiring talent equivalent to a "dream team" that fostered an entrepreneurial culture; nearly 40% of its workforce spun out to found at least 14 startups, including those acquired by Twitter, Snapdeal, and Foodpanda, earning the nickname "Ketera mafia."[1]
Founded in 2000 (with some sources citing 2002) in Silicon Valley—headquartered in Foster City or Santa Clara, California—Ketera emerged to address corporate spend control through SaaS-based procurement tools, at a time when on-demand software was gaining traction.[1][2] Key details on founders are not specified in available records, but the leadership prioritized building in-house engineering excellence; senior management outsourced initially to India before launching their own center there, seeking a General Manager with Silicon Valley startup experience and strong management skills.[2]
A pivotal moment came in 2005–2006 when Ketera's India team, enchanted by entrepreneurship ahead of India's startup boom, saw massive talent exodus to new ventures, keeping the company's legacy alive in Bangalore's tech scene.[1] This evolution culminated in its 2010 acquisition by Rearden Commerce for an undisclosed amount, folding its technology into a broader eCommerce platform.[1][3]
Ketera's edge in the procurement space stemmed from its fully integrated, low-cost-of-ownership platform and network effects:
Ketera rode the early SaaS and on-demand software wave in the early 2000s, capitalizing on enterprises' shift from on-premise systems to cloud-based procurement amid rising globalization and cost pressures.[1][2][3] Its timing aligned with outsourcing booms to India, where it pioneered a premium engineering outpost that predated the country's startup explosion, influencing Bangalore's ecosystem by producing founders for high-profile exits.[1]
Market forces like eProcurement digitization and supplier network consolidation favored Ketera, positioning it as a precursor to modern spend management platforms; its acquisition by Rearden extended its tech into travel and services commerce, while the "Ketera mafia" amplified its impact through alumni-led ventures in eCommerce and tech services.[1][3]
Post-2010 acquisition, Ketera as an independent entity ceased, with its technology absorbed into Rearden Commerce (later evolving amid industry consolidations). Its legacy endures via the alumni network shaping India's startup ecosystem. Looking ahead, trends like AI-driven procurement and supply chain resilience could revive similar models, but Ketera's influence lives on through its "mafia"—poised to drive future unicorns in emerging markets. This early SaaS pioneer exemplifies how talent hubs create outsized ecosystem ripples, tying back to its core mission of efficient spend control in a scalable, networked world.[1]
Ketera has raised $24.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $14.0M Series E in January 2007.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2007 | $14M Series E | — | — | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2003 | $10M Series B | — | — | Announced |
Ketera has raised $24.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
