In the ever-evolving world of SaaS, managing billing and revenue is an increasing challenge. Toronto-based tech startup Maple is rethinking how billing operations are done. The platform streamlines the revenue management process for both self-serve and enterprise sales workflows. Maple was founded in 2022 by former tech leaders Ruchi Varshney, Aswinkumar Rajendiran, and Aravindkumar Rajendiran.
The inspiration behind Maple came from the founders’ firsthand experiences managing billing and revenue at well-known tech giants like Rippling, Dropbox, and Airbnb. They quickly realized the inefficiencies in the current billing and accounts-receivable (AR) space. “The current space is highly fragmented. Solutions don’t integrate well and still require manual analysis of revenue data through spreadsheets,” Varshney explained. Moreover, many existing tools charge hefty fees, taking a percentage of revenue for basic tasks like managing invoices and contracts.
Recognizing a significant gap in the market, Maple set out to create a comprehensive and cost-effective solution capable of handling modern pricing models, such as usage-based or credits-based billing. Their platform simplifies revenue management, reduces operational overhead, and provides valuable financial insights for businesses of all sizes—all without taking a percentage of revenue. Their solution is quickly gaining recognition from several SaaS companies, including Canadian staples like Float Financial.
For many companies, managing revenue is further complicated by the need to juggle multiple sales approaches. Whether it’s product-led growth (self-serve), sales-led growth (enterprise), or reseller methods, the tools to manage each sales strategy often require separate systems. This separation creates additional complexity, increasing the time and cost of interpreting revenue data.
Maple addresses this by offering a unified billing solution that works across all sales workflows without taking a percentage of revenue. “Maple simplifies the process by managing billing and AR for all these sales approaches in one product,” the team shared, emphasizing the platform’s ability to eliminate data silos between sales and finance teams.
When it comes to revenue automation, Maple offers key advice for companies looking to streamline their operations. First and foremost, they recommend experimenting with pricing models, as not every model fits every business. While usage-based billing may be ideal for some, larger companies often prefer predictable costs. Maple also stresses the importance of investing in integrated systems. Seamless integration between billing, CRM, and financial systems is critical for providing a holistic view of revenue data, especially as companies grow.
As technology advances, AI is poised to play an increasingly significant role in the billing and AR space. “AI is certainly making inroads,” Maple’s team noted. Automation and intelligence will undoubtedly become key components of the future billing landscape. Looking ahead, Maple is closely monitoring several trends that will shape the future of revenue management in the SaaS space.
“We’re observing key trends in pricing models, particularly a shift towards usage-based or pre-paid credits systems. This trend is especially prevalent in AI and SaaS infrastructure companies. In these sectors, running AI models or SaaS infrastructure can incur extremely high costs due to resource intensity. As a result, adopting pre-paid credits has become a crucial strategy for securing costs and maintaining fiscal responsibility. “
“Another trend is the challenge of revenue reporting with these modern pricing models. With usage-based billing, revenue forecasting is not as predictable as it once was with standard subscription-based SaaS revenue”, the team explains. The third key trend revolves around dynamic pricing experimentation. “Typically, rolling out pricing and packaging changes could take months or even years. However, the SaaS market and sales motions are changing so rapidly that companies now need to push pricing changes almost instantaneously,” the team stated. Maple’s platform is built to help businesses navigate these trends, offering tools that support real-time pricing adjustments and revenue reporting across complex pricing models.
As for what’s next for Maple, the company is focusing on expanding its customer base while enhancing its financial toolset. Upcoming features will include automated revenue recognition, reporting, and forecasting—essential capabilities for companies transitioning to newer pricing models like usage-based or credits-based billing. With the shift away from traditional subscription models, Maple is positioning itself as a critical player in the future of revenue management, providing the tools companies need to thrive in an increasingly complex financial landscape.
Maple is not just another billing platform; it’s a comprehensive solution that simplifies revenue management across multiple sales workflows, integrates seamlessly with existing systems, and prepares businesses for the future of dynamic, data-driven pricing models. As the SaaS industry continues to evolve, Maple is ready to lead the way.
