Email Open RateSaaSSeries B
Email Open Rate for SaaS at Series B (Usage-Based)
2026 data · Sample size: 198 · Source: a16z Marketplace 100 Report
25th %ile
16.3%
Median
19.8%
75th %ile
22.8%
90th %ile
25.2%
▼Trending down year-over-year
About This Metric
Percentage of email recipients who open a marketing or product email.
Unique Opens / Emails Delivered × 100
Higher is better · Unit: percentage
How to Improve
Segment lists by engagement level and personalize subject lines with recipient data. Send at optimal times based on timezone and past open behavior. Remove inactive subscribers quarterly.
Ehsan's Analysis
At Series B stage, SaaS companies should benchmark against their own trailing 90-day performance, not industry medians. The absolute number matters less than the trajectory. I have funded companies with below-median metrics that showed consistent 8% monthly improvement over companies with better absolute numbers but flat trajectories. Velocity of improvement is the signal.
EJ
Ehsan Jahandarpour
AI Growth Strategist & Fractional CMO
Forbes Top 20 Growth Hacker · TEDx Speaker · 716 Academic Citations · Ex-Microsoft · CMO at FirstWave (ASX:FCT) · Forbes Communications Council
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Email Open Rate for SaaS at Series B?
Median is 19.8%. Top-quartile achieves 22.8%. Aim for top-quartile to attract investors.
How does Usage-Based model affect Email Open Rate?
The Usage-Based business model impacts this metric through pricing mechanics and customer behavior patterns. Benchmark against companies with the same model for accurate comparison.
How to improve Email Open Rate?
Focus on the primary driver for your stage. At Series B, the biggest lever is usually operational efficiency and product-market fit refinement.