Full-Time
Head of Business Development
Posted on 12/31/2024
Shakudo
11-50 employees
Data stack operating system for AI
No salary listed
Toronto, ON, Canada
In Person
 Business & Strategy (1) |
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- 5+ years of experience in managing and scaling BDR/SDR teams, ideally within a SaaS or technology-focused organization
- Demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams and foster career development for direct reports
- Strong understanding of outbound lead generation strategies, tools, and best practices
- Analytical mindset with experience leveraging CRM and sales engagement tools to track and optimize performance
- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to connect with technical audiences, including developers and data scientists
- A results-driven mindset with a focus on achieving and exceeding KPIs and team objectives
- Familiarity with the sales process and pipeline development for mid-market and enterprise-level technology companies
- Lead, mentor, and manage a team of BDRs/SDRs, fostering a high-performance, metrics-driven culture
- Develop and execute strategies for outbound prospecting, lead generation, and qualification to support revenue growth
- Design and implement scalable processes, scripts, and workflows to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the sales team
- Collaborate closely with Marketing and Sales leadership to align on target markets, messaging, and campaign strategies
- Regularly analyze team performance metrics and provide actionable insights to improve outcomes
- Recruit, onboard, and train new Business Development Representatives, equipping them with the skills and tools needed to succeed
- Work alongside your team to refine outreach techniques, ensuring messaging resonates with key stakeholders, including developers and data scientists
- Serve as the voice of the sales team within the organization, advocating for resources and support to meet team objectives
- Stay informed on industry trends and competitor activities to ensure our strategies remain competitive and relevant
- Experience in B2D (Business to Developer) sales or selling technical products
- Existing relationships or networks in relevant industries
Shakudo provides an operating system for data and artificial intelligence stacks that helps teams build, deploy, and manage AI products. The platform works by automating DevOps tasks and integrating over 170 different open-source and commercial tools into a single environment that can be self-hosted for better data security. It distinguishes itself from competitors by creating compatibility between many different software tools, which prevents companies from being locked into a single vendor's ecosystem. The company's goal is to reduce engineering overhead and complexity so that data science teams can focus on developing AI solutions more quickly.
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
Series A
Total Funding
$17M
Headquarters
Toronto, Canada
Founded
2021
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Loblaw reduced AI development cycles from six months to same-day delivery using platform.
- Customer-led Series A2 funding validates product-market fit with CentralReach executives personally investing.
- Sevenfold growth since 2023 Series A attracts strategic investors like Wittington Ventures for expansion.
What critics are saying
- Databricks integrates 170+ tools natively, capturing enterprises with $50B valuation dominance.
- AWS Bedrock sovereign AI controls undercut Shakudo pricing via credits for regulated clients.
- DoD CMMC 3.0 certification delays block non-US platforms from defense contracts entirely.
What makes Shakudo unique
- Self-hosted VPC deployment keeps customer IP within organizational infrastructure, avoiding vendor lock-in.
- Integrates 170+ commercial and open-source tools including generative AI, reducing engineering overhead.
- Autonomous Kaji agents run natively in customer infrastructure for regulated industries like nuclear and healthcare.
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Benefits
Professional Development Budget
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -2%1 year growth
↓ -5%2 year growth
↓ -5%Toronto-based Shakudo has raised $7 million USD in a Series A2 round led by Wittington Ventures, the venture arm of the Weston family's holding company that controls Loblaw and Shoppers Drug Mart. The round attracted investment from existing customers, including CentralReach executives who personally backed the company. Founded in 2021, Shakudo provides AI infrastructure software that helps enterprises deploy AI tools securely within their existing systems. Loblaw reportedly reduced its AI development cycles from six months to same-day delivery using Shakudo's platform. The round included participation from Golden Ventures, GreatPoint Ventures, and RTP Global, bringing total funding to approximately $18 million USD. The company has grown sevenfold since its $7.2-million USD Series A in early 2023 and plans to raise a larger Series B within two years.
Shakudo, a platform providing operating systems for enterprise AI, has raised $7 million in a strategic funding round led by Wittington Ventures, a venture capital firm affiliated with Loblaw Companies Limited. The round included participation from existing investors Golden Ventures, GreatPoint Ventures and RTP Global, as well as personal investments from enterprise customers. The San Francisco and Toronto-based company will use the funding to expand its US operations and launch two new products: Kaji, an autonomous AI agent running within customers' Virtual Private Clouds, and Shakudo AI Gateway, a control plane for managing models and agents across organisations. Shakudo's platform deploys natively within customers' infrastructure, ensuring intellectual property remains within the organisation whilst targeting regulated industries including nuclear energy, healthcare and financial services.
Toronto-based Shakudo has secured $9.5 million CAD in Series A funding to help companies launch artificial intelligence products more quickly and cost-effectively.
Toronto-based software startup Shakudo has rebranded from DevSentient, raising $4.2 million CAD in seed funding to expand the reach of its AI platform for data science and ML teams.