London-based Glorify, an app that brings religion and technology together to help Christians around the world incorporate faith into their daily lives, raises $40M (approx €35.39M) in its Series A round of funding.
The round was led by a16z with participation from SoftBank Latin America Fund, K5 Global and individual investors including Kris Jenner, Corey Gamble, Michael Ovitz, Michael Bublé, Jason Derulo, the founders of Candy Crush and more.
Connie Chan, General Partner at VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, says, “The Christian community is both incredibly social and global, but has historically been underserved by new technologies. Glorify is changing this with a mobile app featuring individual and community-driven experiences, designed specifically for the Christian community. We’re excited to support the entire Glorify team as they continue innovating on the product, growing their exclusive content library, and connecting Christians in new markets around the world.”
How will the funds be utilised?
According to Glorify, the market for faith-based solutions has been heating up and the company’s Series A showcases the massive impact that can be made when faith and technology meet.
The company witnessed rapid growth this year as it attracted millions of Christians of all denominations despite little marketing. The proceeds from this round will help the company scale its operations, expand its team internationally, create new and exclusive content, while further evolving the app’s features to meet and serve demand from Christians around the globe.
Connecting with God through technology
Founded in 2020 by Ed Beccle and Henry Costa, Glorify is an app designed to help Christians strengthen their daily connection with God.
Henry Costa, the son of Ken Costa, a veteran investment banker and Christian leader – also chairman of Glorify – understood the mass appeal of using technology to address the growing problem of anxiety and sleep, but believed there was room for something even more fulfilling from a Christian perspective. Knowing that many Christians had the desire to pray but often found themselves pressed for time or without the best resources at hand, Glorify was created.
Ed Beccle says, “When we first came up with the concept for Glorify, we knew we were onto something big, but as we met with investors, it soon became clear that we’ve managed to capture lightning in a bottle. So much of what is out there doesn’t resonate with people today. But with Glorify, we’ve created an experience that not only helps Christians maximise their daily quiet time in a way that fits their lifestyle and personal needs, but empowers Christians, young and old, to open themselves up to faith again. And, it’s only the beginning.”
Built from the premise that small and regular connections with God helps people fight anxiety, sleep better, and support their overall wellbeing, Glorify empowers all Christians to reflect and enjoy their daily quiet time on their own terms.
As users engage with Glorify, they are greeted with an inspiring quote, followed by a curated worship routine that consists of bite-size Bible passages, a devotional and reflection. From there, users are prompted to continue their spiritual journey by exploring additional content, including exclusive music, prayers and meditations.
With new content presented to users daily, Glorify is designed to become a habitual app, fostering positive and life changing habits for users through their connection with God.
Michael Bublé, a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer who invested in the app, says, “Whether you are in the studio, on the road, or even with family, it is incredibly challenging to carve out quiet time. Prayer has been such an important part of my life. With Glorify, we now have the tools to find moments throughout the day to connect with God on our own terms.”
