Seattle-based diversity, equity and inclusion hiring software startup Included Software Inc. has raised a $3.5 million seed round.
The round, announced Thursday, will help Included grow its engineering team, according to a release. The company says it has grown its annual recurring revenue 400% year to date.
“Traditional HR software was not designed with DEI in mind, making it difficult for companies to spot and support employees who statistically tend to slip through the cracks,” Raghu Gollamudi, co-founder and CEO of Included, said in a news release. “Rapid technology advancements have allowed us to course correct and provide companies with modern tools for today’s workforce."
On LinkedIn, Included has open roles listed in customer success, product and quality assurance.
Included, founded in 2020, offers software to help clients understand their DEI trends. Its technology analyzes candidate data and generates DEI reports, according to Included. On its website, the company lists large local tech companies like Remitly, OfferUp and Amperity as clients. Gollamudi spent more than nine years at Microsoft earlier in his career, according to his LinkedIn page, serving as a principal development lead for the tech giant.
Trilogy Equity Partners led the seed round, while Flying Fish Partners, SignalFire and Alumni Ventures participated. Trilogy Equity Partners has also invested in Remitly, Skilljar and Educative.
Seattle-based Flying Fish, meanwhile, co-led the company's $1.9 million pre-seed round, Included said. Flying Fish closed a $70 million fund on Tuesday. The firm has invested in the Seattle-based food-making robotics company Picnic and the Seattle-based data science startup YData.
“Today’s employees demand a people-first work culture, and if companies want to attract and retain top talent they need innovative solutions to uncover and unlock the true potential of their workforce,” Chuck Stonecipher, managing director at Trilogy Equity Partners, said in a news release. “We believe in Included’s vision for the future of work."
