Exclusive: CRM provider Nexl takes over revenue management startup Databall

Australian-founded customer relationship management provider Nexl is set to acquire revenue operations startup Databall, which helps clients plug revenue leaks and use data to optimize their customer relationships. The acquisition, which is expected to close soon, signals Nexl’s intention to expand its role as a data aggregator.

Databall was founded in January 2023 by CEO Andrew Hutchinson and later joined by co-founder and CTO Matthew Dobing. Hutchinson held senior sales and marketing roles at LexisNexis Visualfiles and also at CRM provider OnePlace (which was acquired by Intapp). Dobing also worked at Visualfiles and led the U.S. launch of LexisNexis’ Streamline workflow and process management software.

Speaking to Legal IT Insider, Hutchinson said: “At OnePlace, we sold Salesforce to firms and integrated their data into it with the assumption that if we gave them modern technology and data in one place, they would come and break the beaten path. That’s what we thought at Intapp too, but looking back, I realised we hadn’t changed anything, in fact it was more confusing for partners. Some firms have done a lot of work with platforms like Salesforce to get engagement with the system, but the human intervention and cost is huge.

“When I left Intapp, I thought, ‘We have all this data in a law firm, it’s just sitting there, and if we can turn it into something that’s really actionable, we can start to commodify the logic behind the question that everyone in a law firm is trying to answer.'”

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Dobing and Hutchinson have set themselves the goal of simplifying the use of data. He says: “We have developed an engine that represents a unified data model with analytics functions based on it and looks for opportunities and risks across the entire customer lifecycle.”

By leveraging external and internal data sources, Databall helps partners make better decisions, such as which clients to focus on and how to market to them. “People are particularly excited because we help partners proactively approach clients,” says Hutchinson. “Not all partners have the innate skills of rainmakers, and we provide them with leads like, ‘Did you know a case was just filed against your client?’ or we give them financial information and news that indicates the client may need help with restructuring work. We then make suggestions on how to bring people together to create the best chance of engagement.”

There are other organizations that provide external data when needed, but Hutchinson says, “The problem is that lawyers don’t know what to do with that information. We tell them there’s a problem and then we tell them what to do about it. For example, if you have a client who’s been looking at your website for a month, particularly a particular firm, we suggest that they come to an event you’re hosting in two weeks and that you take 30 minutes out of their time with them.”

Nexl, which was founded by CEO Philipp Thurner and raised over $10 million in funding last year, already uses data to help organizations optimize their relationships, but this will be another mainstay for the company. Databall will continue to be available as a standalone product, and Hutchinson says: “We can solve the data problem of how to get more revenue, and our synergies are huge, so we have the opportunity to differentiate ourselves in the market.”

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