SaaS Unicorn BrowserStack Acquires Y Combinator-Backed Requestly

Homegrown SaaS unicorn BrowserStack has announced the acquisition of Y Combinator-backed HTTP interception and mocking tool Requestly for an undisclosed amount. 

In a blogpost, BrowserStack said that the acquisition will enable its customers to speed front-end development and leverage Requestly’s wide client base to bolster its product suite. 

“We were drawn to Requestly’s innovative browser-native approach and passionate developer community. This acquisition allows us to accelerate Requestly’s growth while preserving its strengths—helping developers innovate faster,” said BrowserStack cofounder and CEO Ritesh Arora. 

Founded in 2021 by Sachin Jain and Sagar Soni, Requestly is a SaaS platform that helps developers build faster by intercepting, mocking, and testing API responses. While mocking involves a simulated version of a real API that is used for testing and development, intercepting allows developers to inspect and transform an API call before it is completed. 

The open-source browser extension also offers features such as compliance to single sign-on (SSO), service level agreements (SLAs), and system and organization controls II (SOC-II) mandates, analytics, and role-based access control. Requestly claims to have more than 2 Lakh active installs. The company was part of Y-Combninator’s Winter 2022 cohort. 

This is BrowserStack’s second acquisition in less than a year. In August 2024, it reportedly acquired Berlin-based enterprise tech platform Bird Eats Bug in a cash-and-stock deal worth $20 Mn. 

Founded in 2011 by Arora and Nakul Aggarwal, BrowserStack is a platform for software testing across various devices and browsers. The company claims to be profitable since its inception and has more than 15 products in its portfolio. 

The homegrown SaaS platform entered the unicorn club in 2021 after raising $200 Mn in its Series B round led by Silicon Valley investor Mary Meeker’s VC firm BOND at a valuation of $4 Bn. 

The acquisition comes at a time when the homegrown enterprise tech platform is reportedly moving its holding entity from Ireland to India. In January this year, it was reported that the company could take at least eight months to redomicile its headquarters to the country. While there was clarity on the reason behind shifting its base, the company could be eyeing a public listing on the Indian bourses. 

On the financial front, the SaaS unicorn’s Indian subsidiary saw its operating revenue rise 10% year-on-year (YoY) to INR 681.8 Cr in the fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24) while net profit jumped 11.5% YoY to INR 129 Cr.