As we prepare to close the door on 2020, there is time to reflect on and give thanks for the remarkable run Braze has had in this unprecedented year. We have been fortunate to have had a banner year for the company in many ways, and the momentum continues. I am proud to announce that we have just surpassed 1,000 customers using the Braze platform around the world. As the year winds down, my thanks go out to these and all our customers for inspiring us with their creativity, ingenuity, and drive.

It has been said that your first customer as a business takes as much effort as the next 10 customers, and then the next 100 customers, and so on. In my experience, it isn’t so much that things get easier—it is the fact that there are more people lending their energy and expertise to getting the work accomplished. This 1,000-customer milestone is the cumulative result of the investments we have made in acquiring great talent, with more than 250 people joining Braze in 2020. Each team member has done their part to contribute to customer success and satisfaction, and, in turn, our customers have been happy to advocate for Braze, further fueling momentum.

Hiring will continue in the new year, and we have available positions to fill in virtually every department and office around the world. In particular, we are growing our team in Tokyo, thanks to our recently announced joint venture with Japan Cloud. Japan-based businesses like resale platform Mercari recognize the value of having a sophisticated customer engagement strategy, and it is important that Braze be there to help lead the way. There are also openings in Berlin to support growing business from the Germany/Austria/Switzerland region (DACH), such as Soundcloud and Delivery Hero.

I am especially proud to see the growth in sectors that stepped up to solve for unexpected consumer needs this year, like the health and wellness industry. At a time when in-person care can be a challenge, invaluable options are coming from businesses like UK telehealth provider Push Doctor and Safe365, an app-based business in Spain that facilitates check-ins on elderly or infirm loved ones. Both are new to Braze. Similarly, innovation in education technology will outlast the pandemic, with companies like Quizlet, Busuu, and new Braze customer edX demonstrating that distance learning can be even more effective and enjoyable than the in-person experience.

Supporting our growing roster of customers is job one at Braze, which is why we will continue to lean into talent acquisition in the coming year. If you like the idea of working for a company that was named on the 2020 Forbes Cloud 100 list (third year in a row) and Inc. Magazine's 2020 Best Workplaces (second year in a row), take a look at opportunities with us.