Berlin-based startup Rows raises $16 million Series B to launch spreadsheet platform

Rows (previously dashdash), a Berlin-based startup that lets people build business apps using only spreadsheet skills, has announced a $16 million Series B led by Lakestar. Also backing the round are previous investors Accel and Cherry Ventures, as well as new angel investor Christian Reber, CEO of Pitch, who will join the board. Rows also announced the platform has finally launched into public beta after giving access to its 10,000-strong waitlist over the past few weeks.

Rows’ vision is to empower the world’s one billion spreadsheet users to build the tools they need without scripts, plugins or calling IT for help. The software’s interface has three key features: a spreadsheet, with all the expected Excel functions; integrations, that connect to business services like Salesforce or Linkedin; and a modern sharing experience, that effectively turns spreadsheets into web-apps.

Since raising an $8 million Series A in 2018, the company says it has hired more than 30 people in Porto and Berlin , released over 200 features and expanded the private beta to new users. More than a thousand companies participated in Rows’ private beta, including corporates like Just Eat Takeaway.com and startups like Chattermill and Loyalty Prime. The fresh capital will help build out more functionality before a full product launch later this year. Rows will open its platform to the maker community, enabling teams everywhere to share and remix spreadsheets. Companies will be able to offer their spreadsheets privately or publicly in their own urls, e.g. rows.com/my-company. But from today, any user can create an account and start using Rows for free. Originally founded by Humberto Ayres Pereira and Torben Schulz as dashdash in 2016, the company rebranded in November 2020.

Photo: co-founders Humberto Ayres Pereira and Torben Schulz