The Story Behind Haystack’s Investment In Envoy’s Series C

Back when Haystack just started out, we were fortunate to make a small investment in a friend, Larry. We documented that here years ago. Well, a lot has happened since then. Larry and the team at Envoy have experienced growth, survived through Covid, where their product was about checking into the workplace and managing conference rooms, packages, NDAs, and many other things — and they’ve come out stronger. It’s a testament to the team, for sure, but also to the resilience of software. Envoy has always been a product-led company, and that comes straight from Larry’s DNA.

Envoy has been very efficient with its capital raises. Today, the team announces their Series C financing, valuing the company over a billion dollars. But that’s just the numbers. To think about Envoy as a fast-growing company pre-pandemic which anchored around the corporate workplace, Covid and lockdowns presented, to put it lightly, a significant challenge. How did the company survive that? How did employees continue to believe and stay through that tough time? I really don’t know, but it’s amazing and a testament to Larry, the leadership team, and everyone there. To me, this speaks volumes on a resume. Everyone there gets to say “I am someone who sticks with things.” That feels rare today.

For those of us who know and love Larry, well – he is a truly unique individual. He never gives up. He never loses his cool. He never settles. Is he always a walk in the park? Nope. But he is consistent, and his deep conviction has been rewarded. I know he feels deep gratitude to everyone involved. I’ve heard it on the phone. I’m confident he survived this test and came out even stronger. And as we all go back to some kind of work, be it in the office, in co-working spaces, on retreats, and everything in between, I am excited to see what the Envoy team builds to meet the new world we are living and working in.