Workforce inclusion platform Inclusively recently announced that it has closed a $13 million Series A round to accelerate enterprise access of their new workplace personalization product, Retain. This funding round was led by Firework Ventures, with participation from existing investors, including Benson Capital (the venture arm of Gayle Benson, owner of the Saints and Pelicans).
These NFL and NBA franchises are actively working with Inclusively, having engaged about 10% of their full-time employees since the beginning of the partnership.
Modern workers demand tailored work experiences (whether that is extra time on tasks, more flexibility, or accommodations for their mental health). And Retain offers a framework for enterprises and allows employers to address these requests at scale.
The tool merges advanced AI with a platform that helps all employees (not just those with disabilities) learn and better tailor their work environment. And employers gather valuable feedback and data to optimize their firm’s employee experience in real-time. Designed with the future in mind, Retain not only addresses accommodation needs for disability like neurodiversity, but also resonates with Gen Z’s demands for a more personalized and inclusive workplace.
Retain’s key offerings include:
— Accommodation Centralization – A clear, secure, and confidential platform for employees to learn about their accommodation needs.
— Automation – Retain is easy to implement and over 60% of the accommodation process is automated, significantly reducing overhead.
— Cost Efficiency – Every time an existing candidate or employee discloses, companies will save $4,000 on costs that are associated with turnover and low productivity. And it only takes 1% of employees at a company with 1,000 people to self-disclose to realize $1 million in annual savings.
— Transparent Interactive Process – Inclusively enables companies to be transparent about their stances on accommodations and how they provide them.
— Data and Analytics – Companies continuously learn from their employees’ feedback and analytics.
Inclusively has more than 50 enterprise clients, including Delta, Pfizer, Accenture, Charles Schwab, and Edward Jones. And these clients validated the need for a solution that enables their existing employees to become more productive. They wanted a product built around a more social model, prioritizing employee experience, one that goes above and beyond basic legal requirements — instead of the traditional medical model, which is built solely around bare minimum compliance, requires self-identification, and medical documentation.
Retain offers this level of workplace personalization into the post-pandemic world, while allowing companies to scale it responsibly and measure results. And companies that adopt Retain will decrease redundant interactions across their teams, empower everyone with information at their fingertips, and become a premier employer of choice. With this funding round, Inclusively will focus on expanding its product offering to enable companies to address the individual needs of its employees across multiple underserved demographics (i.e. caregivers, immigrants) to create a more diverse, equitable and productive workforce.
KEY QUOTES:
“At Firework Ventures, we lead investments in technology that drives economic mobility, We believe the future of work requires solutions like Inclusively – their AI-driven workplace personalization will enable all individuals to thrive at work. We are especially excited that Inclusively is expanding its offering to support caregivers, veterans and other underinvested in communities that are critical contributors to our workforce.”
— Ashley Bittner, General Partner of Firework
“During the pandemic, employees who worked from home had more control over their working environments than ever. They learned exactly what they needed to be more productive and engaged, be that heads-down time for focused work, flexible schedules for childcare, or workplace accommodations like extra time to complete tasks.”
— Charlotte Dales, CEO & Co-Founder of Inclusively
