Digital Samba at SaaS on the Beach 2025: Ideas and Inspiration

This 21–22 May 2025, Digital Samba’s CEO Robert Strobl joined an exclusive group of SaaS leaders, founders, and investors from Europe and the US at SaaS on the Beach — the premier seaside gathering for the fast-growing software community. The event, organised by Vincent Jong, Founding Partner at Poolside Ventures, started with a catamaran ride from Platja de la Nova Icària in Barcelona and was eventually celebrated at the stunning Hotel W,.

During this exclusive two-day gathering, SaaS founders and CEOs explored the latest in go-to-market strategy, product innovation, technology, and leadership — all through a programme packed with world-class keynotes, founder roundtables, peer-to-peer learning, and spontaneous networking at luxurious locations.

From the start, Robert described the event as “truly one for the books.” And it’s easy to see why. Beyond the Mediterranean scenery was a concentrated mix of knowledge, experience, and raw founder energy. Over the course of both days, SaaS professionals came together not just to exchange business cards — but to share success stories, brainstorm ideas, and unpack the shared challenges of scaling in a rapidly evolving industry.

The speaker line-up reflected the ambition and diversity of the event. Highlights included sessions from:

• Sam Jacobs, Founder & CEO of Pavilion, on building resilient revenue organisations.
  
  

• Tim Schumacher, Co-founder of SaaS Group, Eyeo (AdBlock) and Partner at World Fund, on sustainable SaaS and climate tech.
  
  
• Chris Cunningham, Founding Member of ClickUp, serial entrepreneur and investor, sharing lessons from both sides of the founder-VC table.
  
  
• Olga Andrienko, VP of Marketing Operations at Semrush, offering insights on growth strategy and brand trust in the AI era.
  
  
• Chris Zadeh, Founder of Whangai, angel investor and advisor, diving into leadership through change and chaos.
  
  
• Vincent Jong, Partner at Poolside Ventures, exploring how co-browsing and customer engagement are evolving in SaaS.

The mix of operational expertise, marketing innovation, investment insight, and raw entrepreneurial grit made every session feel both strategic and highly actionable.

What made SaaS on the Beach 2025 stand out?

It wasn’t just the beachfront location. It was the people because next to the already mentioned standout line-up of speakers, the event brought together many representatives from the SaaS industry enabling the invaluable one-to-one conversations. Robert had the opportunity to connect with brilliant founders and leaders who are shaping the future of the software industry — among them: Aleks Đekić, Amit Luthra, Christophe Delacroix, Alex Olley, Ariadna Masó, Cristian Dina, Alex Casals, Carl-Erik Michalsen Moberg, Facundo Farias, Geoffroy d'Halluin, Jaume Gomà, Krzysztof Szyszkiewicz, Glenn Miseroy, Jiaqi Pan, Lorenzo Tiberi, Guy Rubin, Kai Brandt, Marc Francis, Michael Heiberg, Nicola Calabrese, Michał Zieliński, Paige McPheely, Roq Xever, Munya Hoto, Abdyr Rehman, Sergi Pallarès Nadal, Tom Glason, Walter Zepeda, Tom McCarty, Zachary Gropper, Stefan Smulders, Val Grabko — and many more.

These interactions sparked new ideas and reaffirmed shared values — especially around transparency, user-centric design, and privacy-first innovation.

Why events like this matter to Digital Samba

For Robert, the event was more than just a networking opportunity — it was a moment to reflect on where Digital Samba sits within the evolving SaaS ecosystem. As the CEO of a privacy-first European video conferencing platform, he found particular value in the open, unfiltered conversations around trust, transparency, and sustainable growth. Discussions with other founders and product leaders reinforced the growing demand for tools that prioritise data sovereignty, seamless integration, and human-centred experiences — values that are baked into Digital Samba’s DNA.

From the challenges of AI integration into daily processes to the tension between growth and governance, the conversations Robert engaged in confirmed that Digital Samba is not alone in pushing for a more thoughtful, secure, and user-driven SaaS future. 

Until next year…

For Digital Samba, the event reaffirmed that our focus on privacy-first infrastructure, high-quality video performance, and flexible developer tooling is well aligned with what today’s SaaS builders are looking for. It was especially rewarding to see so many European founders pushing for autonomy, ethical tech, and truly user-centric products — values that form the backbone of our platform.

With strong conversations around partnership opportunities, embedded integrations, pricing policies, and the future of AI in video communication, the connections made in Barcelona will help shape our roadmap in the months ahead.

One thing is certain: we’ll be back next year — and not just to soak up the sun. SaaS on the Beach has become a key moment in the calendar for those shaping the future of software in Europe and beyond.