Sales Signals: 2026-02-18 to 2026-03-03¶
Generated: 2026-03-03 Granola meetings covered: 16 meetings across 14 prospects Source: HubSpot Pipeline | Granola Sales Folder
Executive Summary¶
Very active period — 13 new deals created, 23 deals actively worked, and 16 sales conversations captured across the team. The pipeline is heavily weighted toward early stages (S1) with a burst of new deal creation including enterprise names (Mercedes-Benz, SSE, Morrisons, Anglian Water). Euroports is down to Palm vs one other vendor. Bio-Rad PoC kicking off first week of March. The dominant theme across conversations: nearly every prospect is stuck on Excel-based forecasting with fragmented bank connectivity, and Palm's "data agnostic" approach to ingesting bank data (API, SFTP, MT940, CSV, email) is consistently called out as a differentiator.
Pipeline Snapshot¶
Active deals contacted since Feb 18: 23 New deals created: 13 Deals closed lost: 3
By Stage¶
| Stage | Deals | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| S1 - Meeting Booked | 10 | SSE, Mercedes-Benz, Anglian Water, Morrisons, Kaefer, Wolverine, Instacart, Speira, Voodoo, Dr.Max |
| S2 - Discovery | 5 | Digital Realty (£40k), CRC Evans (£65k), Swiss Steel (£70k), Bio-Rad (£65k), Euroports (£45k) |
| S3 - Validating | 4 | Nash Squared, MBRF, Levi's (£40k), Gensler (£35k) |
| S4 - Convincing | 1 | Dunelm (£40k) |
| S5 - Contracting | 0 | — |
| Closed Lost | 3 | FG Europe, Genesco (£50k), OmniOn Power (£50k) |
Pipeline Value (deals with amounts)¶
| Stage | Total Value | Deal Count |
|---|---|---|
| S2 - Discovery | £285k | 5 deals |
| S3 - Validating | £175k | 4 deals |
| S4 - Convincing | £40k | 1 deal |
| Total weighted pipeline | £500k | 10 priced deals |
New Deals (created since Feb 18)¶
| Deal | Created | Owner | Close Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSE Plc | Mar 3 | George | Jul 3 |
| Mercedes-Benz | Mar 3 | George | Jul 3 |
| Anglian Water | Mar 3 | George | Jul 3 |
| Kaefer | Feb 26 | George | Dec 31 |
| Wolverine Worldwide | Feb 24 | George | Jun 24 |
| Landsec | Feb 20 | Irvin | Jun 20 |
| Instacart | Feb 19 | Gurjit | Jun 19 |
| Speira | Feb 19 | George | Jun 19 |
| Morrisons | Feb 19 | George | Jun 19 |
| Voodoo | Feb 19 | George | Sep 30 |
| Dr.Max Pharmacy Chain | Feb 19 | George | Jun 19 |
| Dole | Jan 27 | George | May 27 |
| SIG | Jan 28 | George | May 28 |
13 new deals in ~2 weeks — significant pipeline generation.
Deal Signals¶
Advancing (Strong Momentum)¶
- Dunelm (S4 Convincing, £40k) — Most advanced active deal. Last contacted Mar 3. In pipeline since May 2025 — long cycle but progressing. Close target Apr 30.
- Euroports (S2 Discovery, £45k) — Down to Palm vs one other vendor (eliminated one). Trial access being set up. CFO requires user-friendliness for local entities. Close target Mar 31. Detailed Q&A on Excel exports, role-based access, reporting.
- Digital Realty (S2 Discovery, £40k) — Moving to bypass Cariba and process MT940 directly through Palm. Mike (decision maker) demo critical for momentum. Target decision end first week March, contract execution goal end March.
- Bio-Rad (S2 Discovery, £65k) — PoC kicking off first week March. Two cash pools (Asia notional, EMEA ZBA). Kyriba API issues forcing manual bank platform checks. Close target May 29.
- CRC Evans (S2 Discovery, £65k) — Close target Mar 31. Active engagement, last contacted Mar 3.
Validating (Key Decision Phase)¶
- Nash Squared (S3 Validating) — Demo completed. 15 banks, AI categorization resonated (90% accuracy vs rules). Nadim completing remaining vendor demos. H2 2026 implementation target. Close target Sep 30.
- MBRF/BRF (S3 Validating) — Complex SAP environment with 15 modules. Strict IT governance. George sending one-pager, sandbox setup in 1-2 weeks. Close target Jul 31.
- Levi's (S3 Validating, £40k) — Close target Apr 10. Owner: Gurjit. Last contacted Feb 24.
- TBAuctions (S3 Validating, £40k) — Close target Mar 31. Last contacted Feb 20. Note: "Do not contact - Treasury Table Amsterdam."
- Gensler (S3 Validating, £35k) — Owner: Gurjit. In pipeline since Sep 2024 — very long cycle. Last contacted Feb 24.
Discovery (Building Understanding)¶
- Swiss Steel (S2 Discovery, £70k) — Largest valued active deal. 30+ entities, 16 sending individual forecasts via Excel. PoC access being set up. Needs CFO buy-in (not currently budgeted) + IT board approval. Close target May 23.
- DAZN — Two meetings (intro + demo). High volatility business model (sports rights). Excel model built over 2+ years with high trust. Scenario modeling for acquisitions a key draw. Nat reviewing with Joe (decision maker) mid-March. CFO requires detailed ROI doc.
- Dr.Max — Solo treasury person managing ~550 entities and ~900 bank accounts across 6 markets. Lukasz potentially leaving within months. Nomencia TMS connections roadmapped through end 2027. Unlikely to move soon but massive scale opportunity.
Early Stage (New Meetings)¶
- SSE Plc — UK energy company. Intro meeting with Head of Treasury (Ricky Bright). Created today.
- Mercedes-Benz — Intro with Head of Treasury Cash Management (Volkmar Lorenz). Created today.
- Morrisons — Intro with Treasury Manager (Lucas Jackson). UK grocery.
- Anglian Water — Created today. UK utilities.
- Foot Locker — Recent Dick's Sporting Goods acquisition creating uncertainty. Excel-based with BAI files. European division downsized. 3-6 month sales process expected.
Closed Lost¶
- Genesco (£50k) — Lost Feb 23. Major organizational upheaval: IT outsourced to TCS, CFO departing, all IT projects paused 4-6 months. Wall Street Systems TMS sunsetting with no replacement. May re-engage when leadership stabilizes.
- OmniOn Power (£50k) — Lost Feb 23. FIS TMS inadequate but $50-75K annual cost seen as too high. Insufficient cash balances to justify ROI (needs $500M+ and 100+ accounts). Kyriba liquidity module at ~$75K was the comparison.
- FG Europe — Lost Feb 20. Budget threshold <€10K vs Palm pricing €40-80K. Traditional distributor, 95% web banking, no fit.
Owner Activity¶
| Owner | Deals Contacted | New Deals Created |
|---|---|---|
| George Merrion | 16 | 10 |
| Gurjit Pannu | 5 | 1 |
| Irvin Shrestha | 1 | 1 |
| Destiny Onisile | 0 | 1 (Mercedes-Benz meeting) |
George is driving the majority of pipeline activity. Gurjit managing several US-based prospects (Levi's, Instacart, Beam Suntory, Gensler, Highline Partners).
Feature Signals¶
From Granola meeting notes.
High Demand (Multiple Prospects)¶
- Role-based access control — Euroports (critical for April delivery), Digital Realty, Nash Squared — restricting visibility by entity/geography
- Scenario planning / stress testing — DAZN (acquisition what-ifs, 10% EUR shock), Swiss Steel, Euroports — "what if" analysis capabilities
- Excel export with proper formatting — Euroports (decimals converting to integers), Digital Realty — not just PDF reports
- Multi-currency handling — DAZN (USD/GBP/EUR/JPY), BRF (USD invoices paid in TRY), Nash Squared (global locations)
Individual Requests¶
- Payment execution — Highline Partners — wire transfers, ACH, intercompany movements (~250 monthly payments). Key blocker for this deal.
- Budget vs forecast variance reporting — DAZN — currently not available
- Invoice discounting integration — Nash Squared — Nadim to send details
- Daily vs weekly forecasting granularity — Euroports, Bio-Rad (3-day visibility needed)
- EBITDA overlay reporting — DAZN — not currently available
- Bank efficiency analysis — BRF — comparing bank performance
Pain Points with Current Solutions¶
From Granola meeting notes.
- Swiss Steel: 16 entities sending individual Excel forecasts, manual consolidation at group level, process unchanged since 2019
- DAZN: 2+ year Excel model with very high internal trust, 48-hour window to access idle cash, sports rights acquired on 2-week notice
- Nash Squared: Non-standardized processes across global locations, limited KBC history
- Dr.Max: One person managing 550 entities and 900 accounts in Excel, 5% variance = €10M impact
- Foot Locker: Rule-based categorization requiring daily manual review of 3-4 transactions out of 1,000-2,000
- Digital Realty: Cariba system being bypassed, MT940 parsing done manually in Excel
- Bio-Rad: Kyriba API issues forcing manual verification on bank platforms despite 100% electronic connectivity
- OmniOn: FIS TMS can't handle multi-banking cross-border movements, classification problems with one-time transactions
- Genesco: $20M+ monthly forecast misses, capex systematically over-budgeted, Wall Street Systems TMS sunsetting
Objections & Concerns¶
From Granola meeting notes.
Common Objections¶
- Budget / not currently planned — Swiss Steel (needs CFO buy-in), BRF (IT board approval), FG Europe (<€10K budget)
- ROI justification required — DAZN (CFO requires detailed ROI doc with high-level numbers + detailed appendices), OmniOn ($50-75K seen as too high)
- Early-stage company risk — BRF raised concerns about Palm being early-stage, wants SLA agreements and compliance/security certs
- IT governance blocks — BRF (strict IT team rules), Swiss Steel (regulatory/compliance/security review), Genesco (all IT outsourced to TCS, projects paused)
Company-Specific Concerns¶
- Highline Partners: Palm lacks payment capabilities — dealbreaker for their 250 monthly payments
- DAZN: High trust in existing Excel model, custom FX rate sources may not integrate
- Dr.Max: Contact (Lukasz) potentially leaving, no decision maker available
- Foot Locker: Dick's acquisition creating capital investment uncertainty
- Euroports: Report builder not user-friendly, Excel export formatting issues
Competitive Intelligence¶
From Granola meeting notes.
Competitors Mentioned¶
| Company | Competitors Evaluating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nash Squared | Multiple vendors (unnamed) | Completing remaining demos, H2 2026 decision |
| Euroports | 1 remaining competitor | Down from 3 to 2 (Palm + one other) since July 2025 |
| Highline Partners | Kyriba, GTreasury, Nihilus Treasury | Nihilus had poor follow-up and also lacks payments. Focus on "bigger players." |
| OmniOn | Kyriba liquidity module (~$75K) | Used as price comparison against Palm |
Key Competitive Insight¶
- Nihilus Treasury mentioned negatively by Highline — poor response/follow-up, also lacks payment capabilities
- Kyriba keeps appearing as the incumbent or benchmark (Bio-Rad using it, OmniOn comparing pricing, Highline evaluating it)
- Palm's "data agnostic" approach — multiple prospects highlighted ability to handle various formats (ERP, banks, spreadsheets, emails) as a key differentiator vs competitors that require specific integrations
External Systems Landscape¶
From Granola meeting notes.
ERP Systems¶
| Company | ERP | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BRF | SAP (FPL 1, 15 modules) | Complex IT governance |
| DAZN | Oracle Fusion | API capabilities, custom FX feeds |
| Nash Squared | Dynamics 365 | Also Salesforce, CMS |
| FG Europe | Microsoft Business Central | Small scale |
| Dr.Max | 15 custom-made ERPs | No SAP/Oracle — unique challenge |
| Foot Locker | Oracle/Citrix | BAI file processing |
| Swiss Steel | Multiple ERPs | API/SFTP connections possible |
| Highline Partners | Sage | Potential fallback for bank data |
Treasury Management Systems¶
| Company | TMS | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Dr.Max | Nomencia | 2+ years, SFTP/API connections |
| Bio-Rad | Kyriba | API issues, manual verification needed |
| Digital Realty | Cariba | Being bypassed |
| OmniOn | FIS TMS + Cariba | Inadequate for cross-border |
| Genesco | Wall Street Systems Treasurer | Sunsetting (Microsoft env changes) |
| DAZN | None (Excel) | 2+ year custom model |
Bank Connectivity Landscape¶
Prospects with established electronic connectivity: - Dr.Max — Nomencia TMS with SFTP/API, 750 accounts across 6 markets. Slovakia payment initiation just completed. - Bio-Rad — Kyriba with API feeds, 940/942 into SAP. 100% electronic but requires manual verification due to API issues. - Digital Realty — MT940 files via automated email delivery. Moving to SFTP. Bypassing Cariba to go direct. - DAZN — SFTP with clearing bank, Oracle Fusion API. Well-connected but no TMS layer.
Prospects with basic/legacy connectivity: - Nash Squared — 15 banks, KBC new. API preferred, email/CSV as fallback. Non-standardized globally. - BRF — SEHA + JP Morgan, MT940 (not MT102). Multiple Turkish banks. - Foot Locker — BAI files through Oracle/Citrix. Rule-based categorization. - Swiss Steel — Bank statements available, API/SFTP possible. 30+ entities need standardization. - Genesco — Bank of America + PNC. Wall Street Systems sunsetting, no replacement.
Prospects needing significant build-out: - Highline Partners — 115 accounts, 10 banking relationships. Manual daily monitoring, logging into individual portals. Regional bank (Ameris) may lack API. - FG Europe — 6 Greek banks, 95% web banking. Entirely manual. - Euroports — ABN Amro factoring, BMG planned. Email-based file import available.
Key connectivity patterns: - MT940 dominant among European companies (Digital Realty, BRF, Swiss Steel) - BAI standard for US companies (Foot Locker, Highline Partners) - SFTP is the common automation layer (DAZN, Dr.Max, Digital Realty planned) - Palm's format flexibility (API, SFTP, MT940, BAI, CSV, email) repeatedly called out as competitive advantage
Meetings by Prospect¶
From Granola meeting notes.
Euroports (2 meetings)¶
Meetings: Feb 19, Feb 25
Key points: - Down to Palm vs one other vendor (eliminated one since July 2025) - Detailed Q&A on Excel exports, transaction filtering, role-based access - CFO requirement: user-friendliness for local entities - ABN Amro factoring, BMG implementation planned - Role-based access control critical for April delivery - Trial access being set up for hands-on evaluation
Digital Realty (2 meetings)¶
Meetings: Feb 19 (sync), Feb 20 (demo continued)
Key points: - Strategy to bypass Cariba and process MT940 directly through Palm - Mike (decision maker) demo is make-or-break — "won't get second chance" - Three-year contract with first-year opt-out, split payment milestones - MT940 files (Sterling + Euro pools) being sent for processing - Target decision end first week March, contract goal end March
DAZN (2 meetings)¶
Meetings: Feb 20 (intro), Feb 26 (demo)
Key points: - High volatility business — sports rights acquired on 2-week notice - Excel model with 2+ years of trust, hard to displace - Scenario modeling for acquisitions is the key draw - CFO requires detailed ROI documentation - Nat reviewing with Joe (decision maker) mid-March - Needs: budget vs forecast variance, EBITDA overlay, FX stress testing
Swiss Steel (1 meeting)¶
Meeting: Feb 19
Key points: - 30+ entities, 16 sending individual Excel forecasts since 2019 - Barbara (Director), Brynjar (Senior Director) in PoC - Not currently budgeted — needs CFO buy-in + IT board approval - PoC access being set up with Microsoft environment - Multiple ERPs, bank statements available via API/SFTP
Bio-Rad (1 meeting)¶
Meeting: Feb 20
Key points: - Two cash pools: Asia notional, EMEA ZBA - Investment strategy for ultra-short overnight decisions - Kyriba TMS with API issues — manual verification despite electronic connectivity - Budapest analyst departing, new analyst joining April - PoC kickoff first week March, target implementation end April/early May
Nash Squared (1 meeting)¶
Meeting: Mar 3
Key points: - AI categorization (90% accuracy) resonated strongly vs rule-based systems - 15 banks, KBC new with limited history - Dynamics 365, Salesforce, CMS in their stack - Completing remaining vendor demos, H2 2026 implementation target - Invoice discounting integration interest
BRF (1 meeting)¶
Meeting: Feb 26
Key points: - Turkish company with complex IT governance (SAP with 15 modules) - Payment complexity: USD invoices paid in TRY - SEHA + JP Morgan connections, MT940 format - Concerned about Palm being early-stage company - Needs NDA, compliance/security certifications, SLA agreements
Dr.Max (1 meeting)¶
Meeting: Feb 23
Key points: - Massive scale: ~550 entities, ~900 bank accounts, 6 markets - One person (Lukasz) managing everything in Excel — 5% variance = €10M - Nomencia TMS with 2+ years, 15 custom ERPs (no SAP/Oracle) - Lukasz potentially leaving, CFO unlikely to approve new projects - Long-term opportunity but not moving soon
Highline Partners (1 meeting)¶
Meeting: Feb 24
Key points: - Payment execution is the dealbreaker — ~250 monthly payments - 115 bank accounts, 10 banking relationships, manual daily monitoring - Evaluating Kyriba, GTreasury, Nihilus Treasury (Nihilus poor follow-up) - Would need additional headcount without payment automation - Open to future collaboration if Palm adds payments
Genesco (1 meeting — closed lost)¶
Meeting: Feb 23
Key points: - All IT projects paused — outsourced to TCS, CFO departing - $20M+ monthly forecast misses, capex over-budgeted - Wall Street Systems TMS sunsetting, no replacement - Skepticism about advanced forecasting vs simple Excel - May re-engage when leadership stabilizes
Foot Locker (1 meeting)¶
Meeting: Feb 25
Key points: - Dick's Sporting Goods acquisition creating capital investment uncertainty - BAI files through Oracle/Citrix, rule-based categorization - 3-4 manual categorizations daily out of 1,000-2,000 transactions - European division downsized significantly - 3-6 month sales process, follow-up mid-March
FG Europe (1 meeting — closed lost)¶
Meeting: Feb 20
Key points: - Budget <€10K vs Palm pricing €40-80K — no fit - 6 Greek banks, 95% web banking, entirely manual - Traditional white appliance distributor
OmniOn (1 meeting — closed lost)¶
Meeting: Feb 20
Key points: - FIS TMS struggles with cross-border, classification problems - $50-75K seen as too high, insufficient cash balances for ROI - Compared to Kyriba liquidity module (~$75K) - Needs $500M+ cash balances and 100+ accounts to justify
Patterns for Product¶
- Excel is the universal competitor — Nearly every prospect relies on manual Excel-based forecasting. The replacement narrative resonates, but 2+ year Excel models (DAZN) have deep organizational trust that's hard to displace.
- Bank connectivity flexibility is a differentiator — Palm's ability to ingest MT940, BAI, CSV, SFTP, API, and email attachments was repeatedly highlighted. Prospects with fragmented banking (Nash Squared: 15 banks, Dr.Max: 900 accounts) see this as a key advantage.
- Sandbox/PoC is the critical sales motion — Swiss Steel, Bio-Rad, BRF, DAZN, Euroports all progressing through sandbox evaluation. The product needs to support self-serve evaluation with quick time-to-value.
- Enterprise names entering pipeline — Mercedes-Benz, SSE, Anglian Water, Morrisons. Product needs to handle complex multi-entity, multi-currency requirements.
- Payment execution gap — Highline Partners explicitly lost on this. As Palm moves upmarket, payment capabilities will become a more frequent ask.
- IT governance is a gating factor — BRF, Swiss Steel, DAZN all have multi-step approval chains (IT board, compliance, security, legal). Sales materials need to address security/compliance proactively.
- Key person risk in prospects — Dr.Max (Lukasz leaving), Genesco (CFO departing), Bio-Rad (analyst departing). Organizational instability is a common pattern.
- AI categorization resonates — Nash Squared responded strongly to 90% accuracy vs rules. Foot Locker's daily manual categorization pain validates the value prop.
Action Items¶
- [ ] Product: Bio-Rad PoC starting first week March — ensure sandbox is ready for two cash pools + investment overlay
- [ ] Product: Euroports trial access setup — role-based access and Excel export fixes critical for conversion
- [ ] Product: Digital Realty MT940 processing — Giannis processing files by end of next week, demo Monday Mar 2
- [ ] Product: DAZN ROI document template — CFO requires detailed numbers + appendices format
- [ ] Sales: Swiss Steel — help build CFO business case (not currently budgeted)
- [ ] Sales: CRC Evans and Euroports have Mar 31 close targets — are they on track?
- [ ] Sales: Review Highline Partners feedback on payments — what's the timeline for payment features?
- [ ] Sales: Follow up Foot Locker mid-March after goal-setting meetings
- [ ] Sales: DAZN — George follow up end second week March after Nat/Joe review
Source Meetings¶
| Date | Company | Meeting | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-03 | Nash Squared | Palm Demo | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-26 | DAZN | Platform Demo | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-26 | BRF | Palm Demo | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-25 | Euroports | Q&A | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-25 | Foot Locker | Introduction | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-24 | Highline Partners | Catchup | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-23 | Genesco | Intro | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-23 | Dr.Max | Palm Demo | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-20 | OmniOn | Intro | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-20 | DAZN | Introduction | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-20 | Digital Realty | Demo Continued | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-20 | FG Europe | Palm Demo | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-20 | Bio-Rad | PoC Success Criteria | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-19 | Digital Realty | Quick Sync | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-19 | Swiss Steel | Palm Demo | Granola (Sales folder) |
| 2026-02-19 | Euroports | Continued | Granola (Sales folder) |