VersionPress, a version control plugin for WordPress, has raised $400K in seed funding from five investors, led by Credo Ventures based in Prague. In July of 2014, VersionPress conducted a crowdfunding campaign to raise $30K. However, the team raised only 45% of the $30,000 funding goal.
The team pressed on and released the first version back in January. Since then, the team has relied on funding from the Early Access Program. Borek Bernard, the lead developer of VersionPress, says the influx of cash will help fuel rapid development:
First and foremost, it means that we will be able to develop VersionPress at a more rapid pace. What we currently have in the recently released v2.0 is a great start but the vision and the technical challenge are just so large that this new fuel will is more than welcome. We have many cool features planned and this will allow us to deliver them in a timely manner.
The funding comes on the heels of VersionPress 2.0 which includes, database synchronization functionality and an updated user interface that is completely JavaScript based, along with a number of other features. In addition to funding, Bernard says talking to investors gives him a fresh perspective on the project:
One big benefit of talking to investors is that it provides a fresh perspective on the problems one is trying to solve, how to solve them, for whom, etc. Speaking to them made us realize a couple of important things which will greatly benefit our users down the road.
VersionPress joins a growing list of WordPress products and services that have raised venture capital. In 2014, CoSchedule, the editorial workflow and activity scheduling plugin, secured $500K in a Series A round of funding. Prior to being acquired by Automattic, BruteProtect secured a round of funding from a private angel investor in California.
Great news! Thumbs up Borek!!