Latest news with #BlackPearlGroup
Techday NZ
13-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Black Pearl Group to acquire B2B Rocket in AI sales deal
Black Pearl Group has signed a conditional agreement to acquire all shares in B2B Rocket, a United States-based company focused on artificial intelligence for sales automation. B2B Rocket develops AI-driven outbound sales agents that generate, qualify and engage leads for small and medium-sized enterprises without requiring human involvement. According to information provided by Black Pearl Group, the platform has achieved more than USD $2.1 million in annual recurring revenue and is expanding its presence across the US. Details of the acquisition The acquisition deal includes an upfront cash payment and an equity component in Black Pearl Group. In addition, the arrangement contains a performance-based earn-out structure over five years, which combines cash and equity elements and is contingent on B2B Rocket reaching specified revenue milestones. The aim is to reward sustained growth and customer acquisition momentum, with a maximum payout designed to coincide with substantial annual recurring revenue expansion. Black Pearl Group Chief Executive Officer Nick Lissette connected the two companies' cultures and ambitions. "Relentless ambition is the common thread. B2B Rocket is cut from the same cloth as us - founder-led, customer-obsessed and unapologetically focused on delivering results. Their AI-powered outbound engine is the perfect complement to what we offer with Pearl Diver," says Blackpearl CEO Nick Lissette. Black Pearl's Pearl Diver product and B2B Rocket have already been integrated in certain customer environments, providing increased automation and cross-sell potential for sales teams. Lissette explained that bringing the two companies together is expected to provide material benefits for customers looking to increase their sales pipeline with fewer manual processes. "This is far more than just a bolt-on," says Nick. "It's an investment in category leadership where humans and AI work together to power customer acquisition at scale. This acquisition and our ASX ambitions reinforce our trajectory. Our platform, our people and our playbook are all geared toward sustained, scalable growth," adds Nick. Broader growth plans In parallel with the transaction, Black Pearl Group confirmed it is preparing to file an application to list its shares on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), signalling the company's intention to expand its capital market presence beyond New Zealand, where it is already listed. Nick commented on Black Pearl Group's outlook following the deal, stating, "With B2B Rocket on board and ASX listing in motion, we aren't just expanding; we're accelerating. Relentless ambition isn't just a the model," concludes Nick. B2B Rocket was described as a partner well aligned to Black Pearl Group's own focus areas, namely, technology for improving sales and marketing efficiency among small to mid-sized businesses. The combined operation will seek to serve an expanded client base through increased use of AI sales automation technologies and integration between the companies' respective platforms. The five-year revenue-based earn-out forms a significant component of the deal structure, providing incentives for B2B Rocket to achieve continued growth after the initial acquisition is completed. The integration of B2B Rocket's AI outbound sales technology into Black Pearl Group's platform is intended to unlock new opportunities for a range of business customers operating in the sales and marketing sectors. Follow us on: Share on:
Techday NZ
02-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Bebop reaches NZD $1.2 million ARR in 45 days with SME focus
Bebop, an AI-driven sales enablement product developed by Black Pearl Group, has recorded NZD $1.2 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) within 45 days of its market launch. The announcement highlights Bebop as being the fastest-growing product in the company's portfolio, reaching its ARR milestone at twice the speed set by Pearl Diver, another product from the same company that attained NZD $10 million in ARR over 24 months. Access for SMEs According to Black Pearl Group, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have traditionally found themselves excluded from access to high-quality sales intelligence due to the cost and scale of established platforms such as ZoomInfo, Clearbit, and Apollo. Bebop is intended to address this gap. The company reports that Bebop provides rapid access to highly targeted lists of verified decision-makers at millions of US-based companies, supported by personalised strategic dossiers. Nick Lissette, Chief Executive Officer, commented on the product's rapid uptake: "Bebop is like ChatGPT, but specifically built for sales and revenue growth. This is one of the fastest go-to-market trajectories we've seen across the SaaS and AI landscape, and customers have rapidly validated our value proposition. We hit it out of the park with Pearl Diver, so it's extremely exciting to see Bebop overtake its impressive early adoption. Bebop's traction validates our core thesis: that speed, usability, and value drive adoption. And our platform was built to scale these advantages, fast" Positioned on cost The company states that Bebop delivers sales intelligence tools similar in function to existing enterprise solutions but is priced to make such tools accessible to SMEs. This approach, Black Pearl Group claims, meets growing demand for AI-based and cost-effective sales applications tailored to SME needs. Lissette further said, "There's rising demand for AI-native, cost-effective sales tools that solve real SME challenges. With Bebop, we imagined unlocking unlimited revenue opportunities and cutting-edge business intelligence. Early customer feedback highlights Bebop's ability to 'save hours in research,' 'generate customers effortlessly,' and 'bring the power of AI to the everyday business owner'. That's real results; and a real threat to Silicon Valley sales giants." He contrasted Bebop's capability with earlier generations of business-to-business sales software, which he described as depending largely on SQL queries with interfaces optimised to simplify data retrieval. According to Lissette, Bebop's design provides a distinct experience by understanding both the offerings of a business and its relevant target market, ultimately helping to generate actionable insights for revenue generation. Lissette stated, "Bebop has intelligence at its core – genuinely understanding what a business provides and exactly who needs it. Our product delivers a fundamentally different experience that unlocks deep insights that fuel measurable revenue growth." Product development and outlook Bebop was built and brought to market within 90 days, which the company credits to its ongoing investment in its proprietary Pearl Engine software and underlying data infrastructure. The company suggests this effort illustrates its ongoing technology-driven approach to product development. Lissette added, "That conviction has been validated. The results show Bebop is not just viable – it's a force multiplier for BPG's revenue growth. It now stands alongside Pearl Diver as a key driver in our product portfolio, reinforcing our strategy of building scalable, high-impact tools for customer acquisition." He continued, "Bebop's rapid market-fit means our line of sight on NZD $20 million ARR is even clearer. And this also will greatly contribute to our medium target of NZD $50 million ARR." Karen Cargill, Interim Chief Financial Officer, remarked, "We have deliberately invested since our capital raise into platform development and talent acquisition. The vision and engine is working. Our investment and market timing have aligned. With two products both demonstrating scale and demand, we're well positioned for sustained growth."
Techday NZ
02-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Bebop reaches USD $1.2 million ARR in 45 days with SME focus
Bebop, an AI-driven sales enablement product developed by Black Pearl Group, has recorded USD $1.2 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) within 45 days of its market launch. The announcement highlights Bebop as being the fastest-growing product in the company's portfolio, reaching its ARR milestone at twice the speed set by Pearl Diver, another product from the same company that attained USD $10 million in ARR over 24 months. Access for SMEs According to Black Pearl Group, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have traditionally found themselves excluded from access to high-quality sales intelligence due to the cost and scale of established platforms such as ZoomInfo, Clearbit, and Apollo. Bebop is intended to address this gap. The company reports that Bebop provides rapid access to highly targeted lists of verified decision-makers at millions of US-based companies, supported by personalised strategic dossiers. Nick Lissette, Chief Executive Officer, commented on the product's rapid uptake: "Bebop is like ChatGPT, but specifically built for sales and revenue growth. This is one of the fastest go-to-market trajectories we've seen across the SaaS and AI landscape, and customers have rapidly validated our value proposition. We hit it out of the park with Pearl Diver, so it's extremely exciting to see Bebop overtake its impressive early adoption. Bebop's traction validates our core thesis: that speed, usability, and value drive adoption. And our platform was built to scale these advantages, fast" Positioned on cost The company states that Bebop delivers sales intelligence tools similar in function to existing enterprise solutions but is priced to make such tools accessible to SMEs. This approach, Black Pearl Group claims, meets growing demand for AI-based and cost-effective sales applications tailored to SME needs. Lissette further said, "There's rising demand for AI-native, cost-effective sales tools that solve real SME challenges. With Bebop, we imagined unlocking unlimited revenue opportunities and cutting-edge business intelligence. Early customer feedback highlights Bebop's ability to 'save hours in research,' 'generate customers effortlessly,' and 'bring the power of AI to the everyday business owner'. That's real results; and a real threat to Silicon Valley sales giants." He contrasted Bebop's capability with earlier generations of business-to-business sales software, which he described as depending largely on SQL queries with interfaces optimised to simplify data retrieval. According to Lissette, Bebop's design provides a distinct experience by understanding both the offerings of a business and its relevant target market, ultimately helping to generate actionable insights for revenue generation. Lissette stated, "Bebop has intelligence at its core – genuinely understanding what a business provides and exactly who needs it. Our product delivers a fundamentally different experience that unlocks deep insights that fuel measurable revenue growth." Product development and outlook Bebop was built and brought to market within 90 days, which the company credits to its ongoing investment in its proprietary Pearl Engine software and underlying data infrastructure. The company suggests this effort illustrates its ongoing technology-driven approach to product development. Lissette added, "That conviction has been validated. The results show Bebop is not just viable – it's a force multiplier for BPG's revenue growth. It now stands alongside Pearl Diver as a key driver in our product portfolio, reinforcing our strategy of building scalable, high-impact tools for customer acquisition." He continued, "Bebop's rapid market-fit means our line of sight on USD $20 million ARR is even clearer. And this also will greatly contribute to our medium target of USD $50 million ARR." Karen Cargill, Interim Chief Financial Officer, remarked, "We have deliberately invested since our capital raise into platform development and talent acquisition. The vision and engine is working. Our investment and market timing have aligned. With two products both demonstrating scale and demand, we're well positioned for sustained growth."
