Brevo Becomes Unicorn, Raising €500M to Challenge Salesforce and HubSpot

Brevo, the Paris-based CRM and marketing platform formerly known as Sendinblue, has officially crossed the unicorn threshold after raising €500 million ($583 million) in fresh equity funding. The round brought in General Atlantic and Oakley CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → , each taking a 25% stake, while existing investors Bpifrance and BridgepointDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → maintained 24% collectively. Brevo’s own team remains the largest shareholder at 26%, and Series A lead Partech exited . The funding gives Brevo the firepower to accelerate growth, invest in AI, and expand aggressively in international markets.

What began in 2012 as a lightweight email marketing solution for small businesses has evolved into a full-stack platform serving over 600,000 customers , from SMBs to major brands like CarrefourDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, eBay, and H&MDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → . Today, Brevo offers marketing automation, CRM, customer data management, and multi-channel communication—including email, SMS, WhatsApp, live chat, push notifications, and integrated sales calls. This breadth positions the company to compete with global incumbents like HubSpot and Salesforce , not just in Europe but increasingly in the U.S., which currently accounts for 15% of revenue.

The capital will fuel a U.S. expansion , with over €100 million earmarked to grow market share and establish a stronger presence stateside, including the recruitment of a new Chief Revenue Officer in Boston. At the same time, Brevo is doubling down on AI , committing €50 million over five years to develop in-house agents and integrate with platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Le Chat de Mistral AI. These efforts aim to automate workflows, improve personalization, and differentiate Brevo in a crowded CRM and marketing automation landscape.

Financially, Brevo is a rare combination of scale and profitability. The company surpassed €200 million in ARR ahead of schedule in 2025 and maintains a double-digit EBITDA margin . Its long-term goal is €1 billion in revenue by 2030 , with roughly 45% expected from acquisitions. To date, Brevo has completed 11 acquisitions, a deliberate strategy to combine organic product development with inorganic expansion in key markets.

For CEOArmand ThibergeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, success is simple: the best product wins. Brevo’s challenge—and opportunity—lies in balancing the needs of SMBs with mid-market clients while competing globally. With a strengthened cap table, growing international footprint, and a product increasingly infused with AI, Brevo is positioning itself to challenge the established CRM giants on both sides of the Atlantic.

Sources:
TechCrunch
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