Founder Friday: Samir Shergill & Gautam Gupta, Co-Founders of Highbeam 🏦
Issue #39
Founder Friday is a content series from SuperAngel.Fund that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.
In our 39th edition we are featuring Samir Shergill & Gautam Gupta, Co-Founders of Highbeam, a digitally-native, finance and banking platform for omnichannel brands.
Co-founders Samir Shergill (previously at Microsoft, McKinsey and AppNexus) and Gautam Gupta (previously at Shopify, Venmo and Alloy) spent years working in the eCommerce ecosystem. Together, they concluded that while online brands have been built to maximize revenue growth, the missing link to building a sustainable business was effective cash management and responsible credit utilization.
Given the rise of both independent and large online sellers, recently surpassing $1T+ of annual sales across platforms like Shopify, Amazon, and Etsy, there has never been a more important time for brands to track and manage their key financial metrics.
Enter Highbeam, which provides a full suite of financial services that support eCommerce and omnichannel banking needs. Customers can create unlimited bank accounts, including a new 4% high-yield savings account, take advantage of free wire transfers, and get a debit card with 2% cash back on all purchases. Users also get access to a proprietary dashboard with real-time insights on their brand’s financial health. Per the co-founder’s introductory blog post, “We started Highbeam to give brand founders and independent sellers the financial tools and support to succeed — to grow their business on their own terms — sustainably, profitably, and for the long-term.”
After announcing their $7 million seed round last August, and most recently a new $10m credit facility, Highbeam is ready for scale. Learn more about Samir and Gautam below and check out their banking services here!
Describe your company in 5 words or less.
Samir: Banking to make brands profitable.
Gautam: Banking simplified for brand owners.
What was your primary motivation for starting your business?
Samir: I believe entrepreneurship is the biggest societal driver of change. Most entrepreneur's that start a brand or online business don't do it to manage cash flow - but once you have a product people want, it's quickly the top issue to manage. We wanted to build a company that was a true financial partner and helped these businesses succeed through technology instead of decades old processes, banks and services.
Gautam: During my time at Shopify and Alloy, I had the opportunity to work closely with consumer brands and witness firsthand the incredible dedication and passion that their founders bring to their work. Through conversations with the founders, we also became acutely aware of the financial challenges that these brands often face. It was this realization, combined with the knowledge that we had the skills to help them, that led us to create Highbeam.
What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?
Samir: Just keep moving! Inertia (for good and bad) is real...
Gautam: Figure out who you're passionate about building for and just talk to them about the problems they face.
What do you love to do in your free time?
Samir: Hang out with the kids and watch soccer when I can.
Gautam: Love to be active and work out!
What is the most interesting place you’ve visited recently and why?
Samir: Tokyo is great - different social norms to observe (unlike most places) and amazing food.
Gautam: India — so much potential left unlocked, hard working youth, and great food.
What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?
Samir: Work - Superblocks is great to quickly explore data programmatically, Personal - Peloton app keeps me on track.
Gautam: Work: Linear — makes project management easy. Personal: Apple Notes — makes life easy.
What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?
Samir: Tenacity.
Gautam: Perseverance and grit.
SuperAngel.Fund is an early stage fund led by Ben Zises that invests in Consumer (CPG, eCommerce SaaS), PropTech & Future of Work. You can learn more at SuperAngel.Fund.