How Zeta acquired Unicorn status in the very first round of funding

In the startup world, hitting the $1 billion mark, which accords the “Unicorn” tag, is a milestone. Enterprises typically reach the feat at series C or series D, or three to four funding rounds later. Zeta did it at the first one itself.

On May 25, the six-year-old banking tech firm raised $250 million from Softbank, at a post-money valuation of $1.45 billion. “This is the first time we have raised institutional money; this is the first time “I” have raised institutional money,” Zeta co-founder Bhavin Turakhia beamed on the conference call.

That Zeta grew bootstrapped is uncommon in startups