Problem

As start-up veterans, the founding team at Azra Games knew that it was crucial to keep their investors updated on a regular basis. However, they found their process not only time-consuming but also inefficient.

The team created a Word template to be re-used each time for consistency. But while working on an update, the leadership team would have to send each other the latest version over Slack so they could work on it together, which limited real-time collaboration. They needed to log into accounting and banking systems to include the most recent metrics, which also added complexity in terms of ensuring everyone was working on the latest document with the latest data. The team would experience slight anxiety every time they hit send on an investor update worrying if there were any mistakes or issues.

Solution

A few weeks after Azra’s seed round, an investor initiated monthly information requests through Standard Metrics. After responding to the investor, the Azra team started exploring the platform to understand how Standard Metrics could streamline their investor updates process.

First and foremost, through a drag-and-drop report builder, the team gained flexibility not offered by the Word template and no longer had to worry about formatting issues or multiple versions. Since Azra Games had already responded to an information request from an investor, the latest metrics were on the platform and any relevant data could be pulled into the investor update in a single click. Once the team created their first update, they test-sent it to themselves for final review, and prepared for distribution by adding all of their stakeholders to Standard Metrics. By duplicating the update and removing critical financials depending on the audience, Azra Games started sending monthly investor updates not just to its investors, but also to its advisors, employees, and potential investors.

Results

In the past four months, Azra Games has been using Standard Metrics to deliver its company vision and build close relationships with both existing and potential investors. Staying true to its values around transparency, Azra has been sending monthly updates to all company employees as well, resulting in strong internal alignment and high morale. The leadership team is saving 5+ hours each month while fully eliminating issues relating to outdated data or formatting. Finally, the team feels confident when sending updates!

What’s Next

Azra’s investor update streamlining experience has turned the team’s attention to further IR optimizations. Now that two of Azra’s investors are using Standard Metrics to make information requests, centralizing more data on-platform is the next logical move. Azra Games will use Standard Metrics’ pre-built integrations with Quickbooks and Silicon Valley Bank to ingest financials and centralize it alongside operational metrics. From that point, the team will be able to quickly auto-fill and respond to any number of investor information requests, scaling its investor relations function without scaling its team.