How Userflow Scaled to $4.6M ARR and Exited for $60M

From Zero to $4.6M ARR on a Three-Person Team

Userflow started as a side project from Sebastian Seilund’s demo tool in 2019. When users kept asking for the in-app guide feature, he joined forces with Esben Friis-Jensen to pivot and focus solely on onboarding flows. They decided to keep payroll low, avoid external funding and make the product carry the load.

Automate Over Hire

Instead of hiring customer success reps, Userflow automated billing, usage tracking and basic support. They built comprehensive online docs and rolled out an AI chat helper soon after ChatGPT arrived. Issues get logged via Loom videos or text, cutting down back-and-forth. This approach let them handle 600+ companies without growing headcount.

Thought Leadership Drives Demand

Esben tapped into his Silicon Valley network—guest spots on podcasts, public talks, industry articles—to let the product speak. A free-trial model let prospects test drive onboarding, then lean processes handled conversion. Consulting calls were rare; most objections resolved by well-crafted in-product guides.

Maintaining a Remote Rhythm

With Esben in San Francisco and Sebastian in Denmark, meetings were kept to a minimum. They used async tools like Notion, Slack and Figma comments. Every update went through a single designer, Jonas Kelstrup, ensuring lean decision-making and a clear path from roadmap to release.

The $60M Exit at 13× ARR

By late 2023 they weren’t hunting a sale, but inbound interest from Beamer came through an investment arm. A face-to-face chat at a conference sealed the deal. In January 2024, Userflow joined Beamer at a $60M valuation—13 times ARR. The clean self-serve model made due diligence painless.

Lessons for Founders

Userflow’s path shows that lean teams, automated processes and a focus on revenue per employee can drive outsized outcomes. Avoid hiring for headcount targets, let the product onboard users, and share your story to build your brand.