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How This Bootstrapped Startup Aims to Become World’s Most Acclaimed SaaS Firm

Team Tier5
Team Tier5

From an early age, Ms. Aunkita Nandi, who always had an interest in solving problems with technology, was intrigued by the thought of starting her own company.

”Even though I belonged to a humble family, from a small town Burdwan, West Bengal, with no degree or background in business and marketing, I never considered it a hindrance to start my own business. My father has always motivated me to be financially independent; combined with my interest in helping people, I knew I needed more than a regular job to make a difference,”

says Aunkita.

Tier5 Founders - Aunkita Nandi and Jon Vaughn
Tier5 Founders – Aunkita Nandi and Jon Vaughn

It led her to start developing apps and selling them in the Middle East while studying Software Engineering. True to her vision of creating opportunities for others, she co-founded Tier5 with Mr. Jon Vaughn in January 2016 within a few years of her graduation.

Tier5 is the first-ever software development company owned and operated by a community. It specializes in developing innovative and user-friendly products that allow businesses to grow and attain more clients.

tier5
“We initiated Tier5 with a vision of coming up with software-based products that are cost-effective, easy-to-use, and result-oriented. Today, we have positioned ourselves as ‘one of the world’s top SaaS firms.’ And with a leadership position in the international market, we aim to unlock the modern technology’s true potential to simplify our client’s interaction with their customers, allowing them to deliver quality and effective services, tailored to their needs,”

says Aunkita.

The Threshold of Tier5

Since its inception, Tier5 has built a base of over 15,000 happy customers worldwide. The Indiana, USA headquartered firm, with an additional office in Kolkata, India, Tier5 offers more than 21 software-based products in its basket, with eight more in the pipeline.

tier5 products

Their products are diverse and suitable for virtually any business and entrepreneurs like finance, medical, and real estate to help them get leads, follow up, manage communication, and convert leads to sales.

According to Aunkita, her inspiration and determination come from the vision she has for Tier5.

“We want to show people the power of software. And that’s why we have also started the Tier5 Helping Hands program. Our CSR, corporate social responsibility wing, spread smiles among society’s underprivileged section and empowers them with learning and education, entitling them to create professional opportunities for themselves.”

The Tier5 Helping Hands programs provide software to companies in exchange for a small monthly donation to power orphanages all over Kolkata. It is a win-win for everyone since the program allows companies to get a huge discount on enterprise-level software while positively impacting needy children.

Challenges

Team Tier5
Team Tier5

The couple started their bootstrapped SaaS startup, Tier5, from a tiny space of 1200 sq ft.

Aunkita Nandi and Jon Vaughn relentlessly worked to find clients so they could pay their team. They had several sleepless nights thinking about scenarios that may happen if they don’t get a client. Nonetheless, they faced all the challenges of being entrepreneurs and took them as motivations to do more.

“We started as two people when no one knew us as a company. We struggled to find good resources and a team of people who can work with us in our friendly and open culture,”

says Aunkita.

Tier5 is now expanded to a 15k sq ft office with a team of more than a hundred people from those initial days. What was started as a service-based business has now matured into a product-based SaaS company, with more than 21 software and over 15k happy customers across the globe.

It was not an easy journey, but Aunkita and Jon found new hopes and learnings with each passing day.

Accomplishments

Team Tier5
Team Tier5

Tier5 has expanded itself from $0 to a multi-million-dollar company with the power of social media. Presently, the company is valued at over ten million USD with over one million USD in revenue.

When it comes to Tier5’s growth, Aunkita gives the entire credit to her husband and business partner Jon, who co-founded Tier5 with her and continuously inspires her with his passion for technology, the support she gets from her clients, and the Tier5 entire team, whom she considers as her extended family.

“I have a dream of making Tier5 the best place to work for our team. We started from zero. And today, we are witnessing incredible growth, which I think is nothing less than a fairytale. The entire team of Tier5 has worked passionately and persistently for all the achievements we have made in the past five years,”

says Aunkita.

What’s Ahead?

Team Tier5
Team Tier5

At present, the company faces its biggest challenge of finding the right marketing partner to take Tier5 to the next level. Despite having no background in sales and marketing, the couple has made amazing accomplishments with the company. Yet, to grow the company further, they are looking for a marketing expert who can make Tier5’s bright future brighter.

Nonetheless, the team is looking forward to building more products to help other businesses grow and be more productive. Meanwhile, Tier5 is also looking to expand its Helping Hands program to help more children all across the country with their education and basic needs.

Aunkita believes that we humans have great potential to make an impact in the world. But often, we are too busy with selfish thoughts. It is time we start doing our part and look forward to making a difference.

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