Israeli startup Duda, which develops a system to build and design websites for digital agencies and SaaS platforms, closed $50 million in Series D funding. The round was led by Claridge, with existing investors also getting in on the action.

More than a million websites built on Duda

Duda has developed a website building tool, that unlike Wix, focuses strictly on the web professional market; independent contractors, digital agencies, hosting companies, and others. Additionally, Duda provides SaaS companies with a WaaS (Website as a Service) product, enabling them to customize website design for their small and medium enterprise customers. According to the company, it only takes 3 hours to build a smart and professional website that can interface with external content, automate adjustments based on each visitor to the site, and provide advanced editing technologies.

The Duda system includes a few different functions, including a Widget Builder; enabling companies to integrate their technologies as widgets with minimal code; and site comments - which enables digital agencies to collaborate with their customers directly through the website build.

The company has reported exponential growth over the last few years. Today, more than 17,000 developers use the Duda platform to create over a million websites for customers around the world.

Itai Sadan, CEO and co-founder at Duda, said regarding the investment that “throughout the last few years, and especially during this last one, we’ve experienced massive growth. With this investment we will be able to accelerate that growth even further. Claridge joining as a partner is truly exciting for our roadmap, as well as Rami Hadar, Managing Partner Claridge Israel, joining the company’s board.”

Duda was founded in 2009 by Sadan and Amir Glatt, and has raised $100 million to date. The company has 180 employees around the world -- with 90 based at its R&D center in Israel. Duda stated that the capital will be used to enhance existing technologies, develop new products and tools, and invest in departments across the company, with a focus on R&D and sales and marketing.