Gratas Patrick Brandt on the allure and challenge of running startups » Dallas Innovates

Patrick Brandt, CEO of Grata. [Photo: LinkedIn]

Patrick Brandt
D managing director
Thank you
…about running a startup that allows consumers to express gratitude to workers in customer-facing industries, via D CEO.

Here is "who said what" in Dallas Innovates Every Day. In December, we told you about a seed funding round of $6 million at Thank youa Dallas-based online platform that enables customers to deliver appreciation and recognition to a brand’s frontline employees in real time.

Brands using Grata are able to recognize, reward and retain the most effective staff, which can lead to increased customer satisfaction, the company says.

It’s just the latest in a series of entrepreneurial and leadership efforts for Brandt, which has raised more than $500 million in capital and led more than $1 billion in transactions, according to D CEO, including for the launch of Skywire software, which was acquired in 2008 by Oracle and two other companies for $300 million. He has been managing director and chairman of the board at start-up, inclusive Intelligent and Zimbraand in 2016 he entered the on-demand job market Shift smart as co-founder and president.

With Grata now operating in Texas, Oklahoma and Florida, Brandt aims to begin raising up to $25 million in a Series A by the end of this year, according to the D CEO.

“Success is never a straight line,” Brandt told D CEO’s Ben Swanger. “Right now, I’m manically focused on what’s in front of me.”

For more of who said what about all things North Texas, check out Every Last Word.

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