A workplace well-being platform powered by artificial intelligence received a $1.2 million round of funding — while working its way through an accelerator program.
By the time Scottsdale-based Plannly completed participation in the Tulsa Techstars Accelerator Program, it had secured the angel investment, said Alisha Harris, co-founder of Plannly.
"We were the only company in the cohort that raised money before the program ended," she said.
It was the first round of funding the company has received, said Earl Harris, co-founder and Alisha's husband.
"We had tried to raise money from Arizona, but we weren't able to," he said. "The people that gave us money didn't even look like us."
The company is focusing on self-funded employers interested in offering a variety of programs for healthier, happier and engaged employees, Earl Harris said.
The couple began working on this concept in 2020, and now has secured a pilot program with several companies that will launch with about 3,000 of their employees using the app in early 2023.
Their goal is to give employees the freedom to choose personalized wellness options designed for their unique needs.
Plannly conducts assessments to unlock lifestyle spending account funds and leverages adaptive machine learning to evaluate the results, catch life changes and recommend benefits.
Earl Harris said the types of companies that do well with this program are firms with a high percentage of remote workers, including tech firms and banks.
As employees worry about a potential recession, they begin to worry about their job security, he said.
"We can help these employers show their employees they care," he said. "We're focusing on well being — intellectual, spiritual, financial, mental within one platform."
