Moritz Dausinger
@mdausinger France2.5K followers
Serial bootstrapped SaaS founder: Mailparser, Docparser and now Refiner
Refiner, Docparser, Mailparser
exit story · 2016 · saas founders
How Moritz Dausinger Sold Mailparser to SureSwift Capital (2016)
Mailparser was built by Moritz Dausinger and sold to SureSwift Capital in 2016. At the time of the sale it made ~$5K MRR (self-reported).
Key facts
- Buyer
- SureSwift Capital ↗
- Year
- 2016
- Price
- Undisclosed
- Revenue at sale
- ~$5K MRR (self-reported)
- Years operated
- 2 years
- Channel
- —
Why they sold: Selling had been one of Moritz's goals from the start. As the business grew, so did his personal risk, and with no outside investors he felt no pressure to go big. He also described the money as life-changing security.
The story of Mailparser
Mailparser extracts structured data from recurring emails and sends it to spreadsheets and other apps. Moritz Dausinger started it in 2014 as a side project while working at a startup studio, launched it on Hacker News and went full time about a year later. He bootstrapped it and later added a sister product, Docparser, for PDFs and documents.
In 2016 Moritz sold Mailparser to SureSwift Capital, a buyer of profitable SaaS businesses, in an all-cash deal. He has said it was at around $5K MRR at the time. He kept growing Docparser under a handshake agreement giving SureSwift first refusal, and SureSwift bought Docparser in 2018. The price was not disclosed.
Moritz has said the first exit gave him confidence that he could build a SaaS business again. He went on to found Refiner, a customer survey tool.
Lessons Moritz Dausinger shared
- 1.Finding the perfect idea matters less than first-time founders think; you learn the market over time.
- 2.Show up daily and make steady small improvements; a bootstrapped SaaS is a marathon.
- 3.Keep your ego low, listen to users, hire slowly and keep the team small.
- 4.Done is better than perfect, especially in B2B SaaS.
Paraphrased from the maker's public posts and interviews (see sources).
The maker
See the Mailparser product page or Moritz Dausinger's full profile for everything they have built since.
Other exits by Moritz Dausinger
Docparser
→ SureSwift Capital · 2018
Moritz Dausinger said his personal situation had changed and the risk grew as the business got bigger, and he had long seen a sale of a small-to-medium SaaS as an ideal outcome.
by Moritz Dausinger
Related exit stories
Same buyer, category or sale channel as Mailparser.
Storemapper
→ SureSwift Capital · 2017
Tyler Tringas wanted to diversify his income away from a single business, lock in a win, and focus full-time on his next project.
by Tyler Tringas
Arvid Kahl has said he was close to burnout and that the founders wanted to diversify, since nearly all of their wealth was tied up in the business.
by Arvid Kahl
MeetEdgar
→ SureSwift Capital · 2021
After about seven years running MeetEdgar, Roeder wanted to focus fully on her newer company, Paperbell, a software business for coaches.
by Laura Roeder
Appointment Reminder
buyer undisclosed · 2016
Patrick McKenzie had been bored with the business for years and didn't enjoy its grind, and when he joined Stripe to work on Atlas he agreed to sell it as soon as commercially feasible.
by Patrick McKenzie
Sources
- sureswiftcapital.com — sureswiftcapital.com/blog/interview-with-mailparser-docparser-founder-moritz-dausinger
- sureswiftcapital.com — sureswiftcapital.com/blog/saas-growth-mailparser-docparser
- thebootstrappedfounder.com — thebootstrappedfounder.com/moritz-dausinger-serial-indie-entrepreneurship/
Facts are taken from the maker's and buyer's public statements and press coverage. Prices and revenue are shown only when publicly stated; self-reported figures are not independently verified.
Keep exploring
Mailparser acquisition FAQ
Who bought Mailparser?
Mailparser was acquired by SureSwift Capital in 2016 from Moritz Dausinger.
How much did Mailparser sell for?
The price was not publicly disclosed. At the time of the sale Mailparser made ~$5K MRR (self-reported).
Why did Moritz Dausinger sell Mailparser?
Selling had been one of Moritz's goals from the start. As the business grew, so did his personal risk, and with no outside investors he felt no pressure to go big. He also described the money as life-changing security.
How long did it take Mailparser to get acquired?
Mailparser was sold about 2 years after launch.
What did Moritz Dausinger learn from selling Mailparser?
Finding the perfect idea matters less than first-time founders think; you learn the market over time. Show up daily and make steady small improvements; a bootstrapped SaaS is a marathon.