Startup Twenty aims to redefine CRM with open source platform, challenging industry giants

In a world where Salesforce and HubSpot dominate, Twenty, a budding startup, is carving its niche with an open-source customer relationship management (CRM) platform. By focusing on community-driven innovation, Twenty dares to challenge industry titans while offering a fresh approach to CRM. With its foundation rooted in the open-source AGPLv3 license, the platform is designed to be as flexible as it is ambitious.

Founded by the team behind Luckey—a mini-CRM acquired by Airbnb—Twenty has set its sights on transforming the CRM landscape. For instance, the startup envisions a future where CRM isn’t just about sales but becomes the backbone of customer data management across industries. “CRM is evolving; it’s no longer limited to sales teams,” says CEO Félix Malfait.

As a result, Twenty’s platform allows users to customize data models for various industries, ranging from conference organizers to restaurant chains.

Unlike earlier open-source CRM attempts, such as SugarCRM, Twenty capitalizes on the power of modern developer communities and tools like GitHub. Notably, the project has gained traction, with over 300 contributors and 20,000 stars on GitHub, signaling strong community interest.

Twenty’s modular design stands out because it empowers companies to create custom data objects and fields. Moreover, businesses can leverage GraphQL and REST APIs, enabling seamless data integration and customization.

This forward-thinking approach positions the platform as a rival to Salesforce’s comprehensive suite. In the long term, Malfait envisions an ecosystem where developers create extensions and plugins, further expanding the platform’s capabilities.

Despite these advancements, Twenty acknowledges the complexity of its mission. “Building a CRM isn’t just hard—it’s monumental,” Malfait admits. Nonetheless, the startup’s strategy has already attracted prominent investors, including Y Combinator and Automattic, which contributed to $5 million raised across two funding rounds.

Looking ahead, Twenty aims to become the open-source leader in CRM by combining flexibility, extensibility, and community-driven innovation. By doing so, it seeks to democratize the CRM market and provide businesses with tools that match their evolving needs.

Will Twenty disrupt the CRM industry and redefine how companies manage customer relationships? While the path is challenging, the potential is undeniable.