After winning over 46 countries, Quebec technology company WorkJam, the global leader in digital workspaces for customer-facing employees, is setting out to conquer Canada.
Founded eight years ago, the company is experiencing spectacular growth. Sales are up 100% over the past year and the goal for 2023 is just as high. WorkJam has just raised a whopping $68 million in its fourth round of funding with Inovia Capital and Fonds de solidarité FTQ as lead partners.
“I’ve seen a lot of technology companies in Quebec and Montreal that were bought up too quickly by American funds. It’s important to me to keep it in the family, to keep it in Quebec, to have a track record in Quebec. I was born and raised in Montreal and I want to create jobs here,” President and CEO Steven Kramer said in an interview with the Journal.
Few companies today manage to find so many funds for development. WorkJam attracts investors because it is led by seasoned entrepreneurs who deliver breakthrough solutions for manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and more. The platform allows the workforce to be orchestrated into four pillars: schedule management, communication, task management, and training. It has won over employers like Couche-Tard, American Eagle Outfitters, Shell and Hilton.
A small revolution
Businesses can use WorkJam to communicate and join the conversation with all of their employees in more than 40 languages. Nothing of the sort existed in the relevant fields of activity. Frontline workers were previously limited to text messages and What’s App.
“They never looked beyond the four walls of the facility where they worked. We enable them to understand the entire organization. It creates a culture and gives a sense of appreciation at work,” observes Mr. Kramer.
Employees can use the platform to swap shifts or even accept shifts at another branch. The employer wins because they can hire fewer people to meet their needs. Employees, on the other hand, get a voice, development opportunities, and opportunities to make more money.
“That’s what makes us smile every day: we’re working on a technology that has added value for everyone. It’s rare ! It’s not like setting up an accounting system that saves a company money, but it doesn’t make people happier working for the company,” says the 47-year-old entrepreneur.
Attack on the “ROC”
Thanks to WorkJam, people who previously had to combine three jobs to make ends meet can now stay with one employer by working from more than one location, at times that suit them better.
Steven Kramer, who co-founded ICongo with his father, came up with the idea for WorkJam while speaking with fellow executives struggling with high turnover and difficulties orchestrating work.
“We started in the US, then in Australia. At first we felt that the Canadian market wasn’t quite ready for our technology, but in 2023 our focus is on Canada,” he explains, adding that expansion will also continue in the United States, Europe and Southeast Asia.
“We are eight years old and our story has only just begun! said the father of three teenagers.
WorkJam in a nutshell
- 100% growth in 2022
- 300 employees
- Presence in 46 countries
- Founded in 2014
- Funding to date: $120 million
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