Cello Powers Growth with Slack Across the Globe

Cello is an AI-powered referral platform for software companies that helps them turn their users and partners into scalable growth channels. Founded by Stefan Bader, Cello's platform connects directly with a company's product, CRM, and payment systems to power referral and partner programs.

Bader, who previously saw word of mouth stall at another SaaS company, realized the need for software that could turn word of mouth into a formal referral program. However, he couldn't find such software, and so Cello was born.

Cello's team is distributed across nine countries, with 24 people working remotely. To manage this global team, Bader chose Slack as their primary communication tool from the start. He standardized the company's stack on day one: Slack for communication, Google Workspace for docs and calendar, and HubSpot for CRM.

Cello uses Slack to connect teams, customers, and AI workflows. The company runs over 400 Slack Connect channels, with nearly every customer relationship living in a shared channel rather than an email thread. Bader credits Slack's ability to scale with the company as it grows.