Propeller CRM

What Propeller CRM does

Propeller CRM was a Gmail-native customer relationship management platform that embedded its full CRM functionality inside the Gmail inbox through a Chrome extension sidebar, enabling salespeople to track contacts, update deals, manage pipeline, run multi-step email campaigns, and view sales reports without leaving their email. The product stack combined email templates, automated prospecting sequences, visual pipeline management, team tasks and notes, email open/click tracking, real-time dashboards, native iOS and Android apps, a public API, and partner integrations with Zapier, PieSync, Drip, Slack, Google Contacts, MailChimp, and Zendesk. Founded by Eric Bouck after pivoting from a prior CRM venture and publicly launched in September 2016, Propeller targeted startups, agencies, consultants, B2B sales teams, and creative professionals with a horizontal SMB positioning.

The business model was a single-tier subscription SaaS priced at $35 per user per month (or $348 per user per year with a ~17% discount, and a 50% non-profit discount), distributed primarily through self-serve product-led growth with a 14-day no-card free trial, supplemented by founder-led demos via Calendly. The company was bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds, operated with 1–10 employees out of San Francisco (2948 Bush St), and accumulated hundreds of paying customers during its roughly three-year operating life. Notable customer outcomes included Optimist's reported 400% increase in campaigns managed and 200% revenue growth, and Bridge CEO Romish Badani attributing over 50% of Q1 revenue growth to a Propeller email campaign.

Propeller ceased operations on December 15, 2019, citing insufficient growth rate to justify additional investment; the shutdown was not accompanied by an acquisition or acquihire, and customers were given until February 15, 2020 to export their data. The legal entity was Propeller CRM, Inc., a California corporation.

Name

Propeller CRM

Legal name

Propeller CRM, Inc.

Website

https://propellercrm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Propeller CRM was a bootstrapped, Gmail-native CRM that embedded contact management, deal pipelines, and automated email campaigns inside a Chrome extension sidebar for startups, agencies, consultants, and B2B SMBs at a flat $35 per user per month.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

CRM Software

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

akta.pro primary industry

Sales Force Automation (SFA) CRM (HDAEAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marketing Automation & Campaign Management CRM (HDAEAFAB), Marketing Automation, CRM & Lifecycle Messaging (BPAMALAE)

Keywords

• CRM software
• Sales automation
• Email marketing
• Pipeline management
• Contact management

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription SaaS (Per User): Flat-rate per-user monthly or annual subscription. All features included in single plan ('one size fits all'). $35/month per user or $348/year ($29/user/month) for annual commitment. 50% discount available for qualifying non-profits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Propeller CRM is a Gmail-native customer relationship management (CRM) SaaS platform delivered via a Chrome extension sidebar inside the Gmail inbox. It provides automated multi-step email campaigns, visual sales pipeline management, real-time reporting and forecasting, team collaboration tools (tasks, notes, follow-ups), and email open/click tracking, with native iOS and Android mobile apps and a public API for integrations such as Zapier, PieSync, Drip, and Slack.

Product overview

Propeller CRM is a unified all-in-one CRM platform built specifically for Gmail users. The core product is Propeller CRM itself, which integrates directly into Gmail through a Chrome Extension. The platform includes several integrated modules: Gmail Integration with Chrome Extension for inbox-based CRM access, Automated Email Campaigns for multi-step sequencing, Pipeline Management for visual deal tracking, Tasks and Activities for team collaboration, Reports and Dashboards for real-time analytics, API and Integrations for extensibility, and a Mobile App for iOS and Android. All modules work together as a cohesive system centered around Gmail workflow.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Propeller CRM All-in-one Gmail-native CRM platform that integrates directly into Gmail via a Chrome extension sidebar, providing sales teams with contact management, deal tracking, pipeline visualization, automated multi-step email campaigns, real-time sales reports, forecasting, team tasks and notes, and email open/click tracking under a flat per-user subscription. Targeted at startups, agencies, consultants, B2B companies, and creative professionals.
• Propeller CRM Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• 400% increase in campaigns managed
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ZapiercoreTechnology or IntegrationWorkflow automation integration enabling Propeller to connect with Drip and other apps. Enables automatic lead flagging from website visitors, real-time Slack notifications, and streamlined inquiry flows from web visitor to subscriber to marketing qualified lead to pipeline.
• DripcoreTechnology or IntegrationEmail marketing integration for lead nurturing and automation. Combined with Zapier enables sophisticated inbound lead management workflows.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Streak: Streak is the most direct peer: a CRM that lives inside Gmail via a Chrome extension, explicitly cited by Propeller customer Optimist as the prior tool being replaced. Same in-inbox wedge, same SMB target market.
• Copper: Copper (formerly ProsperWorks) is a Google-Workspace-native CRM targeting SMBs, sharing Propeller's 'easy CRM that fits how Google users work' positioning. Both compete for the same Workspace customer base with similar ease-of-use messaging.
• Pipedrive: Pipedrive is a direct SMB sales CRM with visual pipeline management, multi-step email automation, and per-seat pricing — directly overlapping Propeller's feature set and target buyer profile.
• Yesware: Yesware is a Gmail/Outlook sales productivity tool offering email tracking, templates, and multi-step campaigns from inside the inbox — the closest 'in-inbox sales engagement' peer to Propeller's sidebar workflow.
• Mixmax: Mixmax provides email tracking, templates, sequences, and surveys natively inside Gmail, directly competing for the same 'make sales from your inbox' workflow that Propeller sold to sales reps and agencies.

Broad incumbents

• HubSpot CRM: HubSpot is the dominant free/PLG CRM for SMBs and B2B startups, overlapping with Propeller's customer segments (startups, agencies, consultants, small B2B firms) and offering pipeline, campaigns, and a free tier at greater scale.
• Freshsales (Freshworks CRM): Freshsales is a broader SMB CRM from Freshworks covering pipeline, email campaigns, and built-in phone/chat — a larger incumbent chasing the same startup/SMB and B2B customer segments with greater headcount and capital.
• Zoho CRM: Zoho CRM is a long-established horizontal SMB/enterprise CRM with email integration, campaigns, and pipeline management, frequently considered alongside Propeller for cost-sensitive startup and small business buyers.
• Salesforce Sales Cloud: Salesforce is the category-defining CRM incumbent whose perceived complexity and cost Propeller positioned against ('built for reps, not managers'); it sets the competitive baseline for any SMB CRM startup.

Emerging players

• Mailshake: Mailshake is a focused cold-email outreach tool with multi-step sequences, sharing Propeller's email-campaign feature surface and overlapping agency/SMB customer base, though without the full pipeline-management CRM layer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/propellercrm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/propeller-crm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Propeller CRM