附近上门

As more employees work remotely, their bosses are finding it difficult to recognize and reward them now that large-group get-togethers and lunches are still widely prohibited.

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Enter , a San Francisco-based rewards and recognition platform that is providing curated experiences that employers can bestow on their employees and top performers. Those perks can include things like skydiving, virtual cooking classes, and family days at the zoo, with Blueboard鈥檚 concierge service handling all of the logistics.

The company closed on a $9.3 million Series A round led by , with participation from , , , and . The new funding gives Blueboard a total of $15.8 million in venture-based funding since being founded in 2014. This includes a round in 2019, according to 附近上门 data.

鈥淓mployee engagement and HR practices are critical drivers for company growth, particularly in the distributed world we live in today,鈥� said , partner at Greycroft, in a written statement. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited for Blueboard to lead this fast-growing market with a unique approach to employee recognition and company culture.鈥�

In the 附近上门 database we found 70 companies that raised approximately $1.3 billion in funding in the last five years. However, you have to take into account that raised $583 million of that total, according to the database.

and developed the idea for Blueboard after both experienced recognition programs at previous jobs that were unremarkable, impersonal and didn鈥檛 incentivize.

鈥淭he recognition was well-intentioned, but it didn鈥檛 feel that way when I felt burnt out,鈥� Smith, co-founder and CEO, told 附近上门 News. 鈥淣o manager has time to do something thoughtful for each employee, so there is still a gap of what is expected.鈥�

The status quo was a gift card or cash bonus, which is not appropriate anymore for the modern organization, Yip said. Instead, employees are looking for incentives that enable them to get back quality time–with their families, with interests and hobbies, as well as an activity they didn鈥檛 have to do right away.

Smith and Yip plan on using the new funding to expand into new markets, add more local businesses to the mix, and support enterprise clients. They will also invest in the core technology with an aim at doubling Blueboard鈥檚 engineering team over the next six months, Smith said.

The company continues to grow. It鈥檚 employee base is approximately 90 people, up from fewer than 30 employees two years ago, Yip said in an interview. During that time, Blueboard also rounded out its leadership team.

On the customer side, the company ended last year with $13 million in sales, up from just over $4 million in 2017, he said.

鈥淲e鈥檝e seen accelerated growth, and what has been interesting is that when we started in 2014, the employee experience didn鈥檛 really exist,鈥� Yip said. 鈥淣ow, more managers are asking how their teams are feeling, how to get them motivated and create an environment where they understand their employees鈥� needs.鈥�

Next up, the company plans to expand its reach to sales leaders in addition to its human resource clients, and is developing new incentives, such as a 鈥淧resident鈥檚 Club鈥� in which employees can build their own bucket list trip.

Illustration: iStock