Surfe, the startup that was originally named Leadjet, is an interesting browser extension if you spend a lot of time on LinkedIn and are tired of switching between your CRM and the professional social network.
When you install Surfe’s browser extension, you get some nifty syncing features between your CRM and LinkedIn. For instance, you can find leads on LinkedIn and easily export them to your CRM platform. But you can also view CRM data directly on LinkedIn profile pages.
“We believe the CRM should be where the relationships happen,” co-founder and CEO David Maurice Chevalier told me. “We are just closing the gap here between these different platforms and CRMs.” Surfe works with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive and Copper.
Surfe started as a quick export tool for LinkedIn. You install the browser extension and you can export a LinkedIn profile to your CRM without having to manually copy and paste a ton of data.
But it has evolved into a more powerful tool that provides two-way syncing. Surfe injects CRM data on LinkedIn directly so that you can interact with your CRM where you already spend most of your time.
When you add a LinkedIn contact to your CRM, you can fill out CRM fields from there — industry, company size, role in the company, etc. If you rely heavily on LinkedIn messages, you can also sync private conversations with your CRM.
It can be particularly useful with multiple sales people. You can see if someone on the team has already contacted a specific person and the current status of the deal.
All these new features create a healthier relationship with LinkedIn. “We are not a data exporter, we increase the time spent on LinkedIn,” Chevalier said.
The browser extension also acts as a shortcut to your CRM. You can write notes and create tasks in just a few clicks.
There’s a bigger play for Surfe. The startup wants to modernize the CRM interface. Users can open full-screen views with the deal pipeline in kanban and list views. It might not replace your CRM, but it can help you push quick updates.
“The CRM is more of a data platform and we think we need a new front end,” Chevalier said.
There are 1,500 companies using Surfe in one way or another. Some sales people just started using it directly, while other companies have hundreds of licenses. Spendesk is a big Surfe customer, for instance.
Surfe competes with products like Scratchpad and Dooly. Up next, the team wants to bring CRM features to more places around the web.
The company raised $4 million (€4 million) this summer in a seed round led by 360 Capital. Other participants in the round include TS Ventures and various business angels.
More impressive, the team managed to reach €1 million in annual recurring revenue without any proper sales team. Now that it has raised some funding, it wants to reach the next level.
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