Blackline is an American enterprise software company that develops cloud-based services designed to automate and control the entire financial close process.[3][4][5] The Los Angeles -based company has 11 offices worldwide.[6]
BlackLine was founded in 2001 by Therese Tucker, a former CTO at SunGard Treasury Systems.[7][8][9] The initial goal was to help customers replace their use of Excel with a suite of accounting software.[10]
The company functioned with no outside funding until 2013 when the private equity firm, Silver Lake Partners invested more than $200 million in the company.[11][10]
Blackline reached an agreement to form a strategic alliance with the financial consulting firm McGladrey, in 2015. As part of the alliance, the companies began offering a business process as a service (BPaaS) platform.[12]
The company's IPO was October 28, 2016; they're listed on the Nasdaq under the symbol BL.
[13][14]
Runbook acquisition
In September 2016, the company acquired its European competitor, Runbook for $34 million.[9][15]
Runbook marketed a dashboard software application program for SAP;[16] before it was acquired by Blackline.[17]
The software's "automation of recurring financial processes" adds "visibility and transparency" and strengthens "internal controls and compliance documentation" of data maintained by SAP.[18]
SAP agreement
In 2018 Blackline reached an agreement with SAP for the latter "to resell BlackLine's .. cloud-based finance and accounting solutions" as part of "SAP Solution Extensions."[19]
Rimilia acquisition
In October 2020, the company acquired UK-based accounts receivable automation company Rimilia for $150 million.[20]
Rimilia's cloud-based SaaS platform "uses AI to accurately apply payments to customer's invoices with any ERP system".[21]
Operations
Blackline provides software for more than 3,100 companies including Costco, Netflix, Coca-Cola, JetBlue Airways, Google, Kraft Heinz, Under Armour, Sirius XM Holdings.[9] The company creates enhanced financial controls, in contrast to basic general ledger applications. BlackLine's software manages financial data, reconciles balances from sub-systems, ensures accurate and complete closings, and monitors regulatory controls through a system known as continuous auditing. The company's software is cloud-based, primarily running on the Google Cloud Platform, and meets ISO 27001 standards.[22]
Recognition
BlackLine was ranked number 43 on Forbes Cloud 100 list in October 2016.[23] With its current market cap of $3.5 billion, the company is the largest tech company having a single female founder.
In May 2016, a Gartner Magic Quadrant report on the 10 major financial corporate performance management solutions ranked BlackLine among the top four "Leaders" with Oracle, IBM and Workiva.[24] Additionally, in 2018, Blackline was positioned as a "Leader" again in Gartner's Magic Quadrant but for "Cloud Financial Close Solutions", a new category[25] developed around cloud based financial technologies by Gartner.[26]
In March 2020, Blackline received the SAP North America Award for Partner Excellence for SAP Solution Extension Growth - Cloud.[27]
In June 2020, BlackLine, Inc. has received a 'Top Rated Award' for 2020 from TrustRadius in the category Financial Close.[28]