Sydney-based worktech startup Calven raises $6.8 Mn

Aussie employee analytics startup Calven has raised $6.8 Mn in seed funding round, led by venture capital fund AirTree.  

Calven is a mobile app that provides employers with visibility and insight into individual employee preferences to drive personalised and targeted engagement. Employees can access Calven via a mobile app, web, and tools such as Slack and Microsoft Teams. 

The funding comes at an opportune time as businesses strive to understand their employees better to drive greater engagement and build a sense of community through the ever-evlving hybrid work construct.

Calven aims to leverage the funding towards expansion in the Australian and US markets, in addition to product enhancements to unlock hybrid working and curate better experiences for employers and employees alike.

“We feel incredibly lucky to have an amazing calibre of investors behind us and customers who have partnered with us to this point in our journey. Collectively, their support and insights have ensured we’re bringing to market a platform that will remove much of the friction and challenges managing employees in a hybrid environment. It’s a vote of confidence in our ability as a team, as well as the huge potential of software solutions to enable the future of work,” Co-Founder Jeremy Pollak said.

Highlighting how the pandemic was a catalyst for organisations to look beyond existing technology solutions, Pollak noted that inputs from employees, workplace experience leads, facilities and human resource heads at more than 100 companies in Australia and overseas, has made it clear everyone is struggling with manual processes and piecemeal technology to plan and manage their people, not just real estate challenges.

“Hybrid work environments have fundamentally changed when and where people work and how they want to engage with their employers and teammates. It has upended business as usual and left many leaders struggling to plan, manage, measure and negotiate the tension between what employees and employers need to be successful,” Pollak added.

Commenting on their recent investment, AirTree Partner James Cameron said, “Calven was born out of a crisis, but it's not just a band-aid solution for the here and now. We see a category forming around hybrid work platforms, and Calven will help companies act on their policies and optimise the office and employee experience," 

As Calven plans to grow its foothold across continents, it is also looking to expand its employee base which currently stands at 20. It will be interesting to see how the Aussie startup capitalizes on the hot market for technology that makes hybrid working seamless.