Hello.
Times of transition are always fueled with fear and uncertainty. The world of work is undergoing the greatest period of change in our lifetimes. As Wharton Business School professor Adam Grant points out, CEOs are getting lots wrong about the future of work and mainly because of fear. Add in the tech market’s greatest run of adversity since the dot-com bust, and it’s easy to be a little jittery.
However, there is cause for optimism right now. Even with some high-profile missteps, the potential of Generative AI is significant for Work Tech. You are seeing more AI functionality launched to serve valuable Work Tech use cases around distilling insights, separating signal from noise, and accelerating content development. Berlin-based Spoke.ai announced a pre-seed round of €2 million (~$2.1 million U.S.) for its Generative AI tool that helps stay on top of inbound communications. Also, Quantive announced the launch of its AI-based capabilities for strategy execution. And Arist announced the launch of its AI-driven microlearning course builder, Sidekick.
What else is going on this week?
“The best leaders intuitively build trust by personalizing interactions.” Check out the latest in our Founder15 series and meet Julie Choi, Founder and CEO of Pointr.co, a colleague network designed to make bonding efforts effortless for anyone.
Funding and acquisitions
- Empyrean makes acquisition, launches new communications and engagement capabilities. The Houston-based employee benefits administration player has acquired Enspire and will launch a new software called +YOU on Empyrean’s platform to combine the companies’ technology. The Austin-based private employee communication and engagement platform will continue to offer its existing services as a standalone product. (BizJournals)
- Rezolve.ai raises $11 million Series A. The Bay Area startup offers an AI-powered employee service SaaS platform. (FinSMEs)
- Kanarys raises $5 million Series A. The Dallas startup offers employers the tools to create long-term systemic change around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). (FinSMEs)
- Crew raises $2.3 million in seed funding. The Paris brand offers a recruitment CRM that combines an outreach automation tool, strong nurturing capabilities, and an actionable database. (FinSMEs)
- Cusmat raises $3.5 million Series A. The Indian startup focuses on employee skilling and development. (Inc42)
- Marn closes $1 million post-seed round. The Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based HR tech startup offers flexible work solutions. (SaaS News)
- GoCo acquires WFHomie. The Houston provider of flexible software solutions for HR, benefits, and payroll acquired the Toronto-based provider of an employee experience and people analytics platform built for remote-first companies. (FinSMEs)
- Northcoders acquires TechReturners for £1.5 million ($1.82 million U.S.). (The Business Desk)
Industry notes
- More layoffs ahead at Meta. (MSN)
- Coursera announced Q4, full-year 2022 results. (Press Release)
- Udemy launches courses in Hindi, 13 other languages. (News18)
- Talespin, Pearson launch new immersive learning product. (Press Release)
- TrueLearn appoints Kevin Sayar as CEO; Joshua Courtney, D.O., as Executive Chairman of the Board. (Press Release)
- Microsoft lays off 150 cloud sales specialists. (The Information)
- Five new benefits and perks employers will tailor to employee needs. (Wall Street Journal)
- Instacart plans small-business service, taking aim at Amazon and Walmart. (The Information)
Around the shop
Things we’re talking about or find interesting right now.
- Why B2B marketers and executives need to focus on their personal brands. (MarketingProfs)
- Nike sued for allegedly using unlicensed fonts in advertising and marketing work. (Footwear News)
- Generative AI can help you tailor messages to specific audiences. (Harvard Business Review)
That’s it for this week!
Everybody love everybody,
Steve Smith
