// startup autopsy
Cascades Development
Too early for the SaaS wave, too small to wait for it.
timingSlow Death
Years-long decline before final shutdown · Fatal mistake: Cascades Development tried to build an enterprise SaaS business in 2006 with only $50K when the market was not yet ready for cloud software adoption.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
Cascades Development founded in the USA to build SaaS or software solutions for enterprise clients.
FUNDING
Raised $50K in seed funding, its only external capital.
PRODUCT LAUNCH
Enterprise clients slow to adopt cloud software; sales cycles prolonged cash burn.
PRODUCT LAUNCH
Capital nearly exhausted with no path to profitability or follow-on investment.
SHUTDOWN
Cascades Development ceased operations as funding dried up and enterprise SaaS adoption had not yet gone mainstream.