Based out of Zurich, Beekeeper is a workplace app that connects the non-desk workforce to operational systems and communication channels.
Recently, the company has secured $45 million (€41 million) in Series B funding led co-led by Thayer Ventures and Swisscanto Invest by Zürcher Kantonalbank, with participation from previous backers including Atomico, Alpana Ventures, Edenred Capital Partners, Fyrfly, Hammer Team, investiere, HighSage Ventures, Keen Venture Partners, Samsung NEXT, Swiss Post and Swisscom.
The company is planning to utilise this fund to expand the team, throughout Europe and the U.S., and to bridge the gap between knowledge workers and their non-desk counterparts. Additionally, the company is planning to expand its offering with new features and integrations.
In fact, Beekeeper has gained substantial traction in the global market as the favorite operational communication platform for frontline employees in various verticals including retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. The startup previously raised $8 million (approx €7.2M) in a Series A round in 2017.
For the uninitiated, Beekeeper is a mobile-first communication platform that reaches every shift, location, and language through real-time messaging and targeted streams. This platform helps in keeping entire team on the same page so work gets done faster, and better. Moreover, it offers enterprise-grade security with certified data encryption, advanced firewall protection, and guarantee GDPR compliance.
The company was founded by Andreas Slotosch, Cristian Grossmann, Daniel Sztutwojner, Flavio Pfaffhauser. Beekeeper integrates with operational systems, making them accessible in one central portal. Since 80% of the world’s worker are non-desk employers, the Swiss company sees a major market opportunity.
Beekeeper’s clients include Hyatt Hotels, Dollar General, Domino’s Pizza, Heathrow Airport, and SeaBoard Foods. In the future, Beekeeper is planning to customise the experience with apps and integration with systems.
David Connell, General Manager, Exclusive Hotels & Venues, said:
Beekeeper has helped our internal communication in that we are able to easily engage with every member of the team, which email fails to do. Not only is it essential for day-to-day operational communication, but it is also a fabulous tool with which to celebrate everything, including individual birthdays, work anniversaries, guest feedback, and personal successes. I can honestly say that the team is much closer and far more engaged as a result of introducing Beekeeper to the business and there is no doubt that this has helped to improve our retention and satisfaction scores.
Main image credits: Beekeeper
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