Hybrid work culture building startup Remote Social raises $1 million seed round

Future of work startup Remote Social has raised a $1 million seed round.

The raise was led by Black Nova VC, supported by neuroscience consultancy NeuroPower, Antler Australia – the startup emerged out of Antler Australia, and several strategic angels.

Remote Social’s angel investors include Atlassian VP of engineering Zak Islam, Archangel Ventures partner Quentin Wallace, Hipages co-founder David Vitek, Tractor Ventures co-founder Jodie Imam and innovation investor Thomas Rice.

The startup will use the cash injection to build out what it calls its Culture-as-a-Service offering, which includes remote culture activities, tools, and a marketplace of experiences for teams.

Remote Social has been in beta launch and is already being used by global teams from more than 250 organisations in 34 countries, including Atlassian, Adobe, and PwC.

Co-founders Jessica Baird Walsh, Mike Fitzbaxter and Gerardo Contreras Vacca set out to build “the ultimate destination for remote and hybrid teams to come together online to build connection and culture through play and shared experiences” through games and activities.

The trio say they’re is on a mission to transform how teams engage and come together online and solve the challenges of culture building and connection in increasingly hybrid and remote companies worldwide.

Jessica Baird Walsh, the startup’s CEO, said the platform offers live experiences, hosted virtually by leading experts in wellness, entertainment, cooking, fitness, and inspirational speakers.

“Remote Social is building a category-defining Culture as a service offering, which will change the way remote and hybrid teams build strong relationships and culture,” she said.

“We have an ambitious goal to remove geography as a barrier to connection for teams, enabling rich cultures to thrive within organisations. We are incredibly proud to have such an engaged and strategic group of investors in our corner as we grow.”

Black Nova VC Managing Partner Matt Browne said the platform is a perfect fit for the future of work.

“Remote Social has created a powerful and engaging platform that enables teams to build the culture they want, no matter where they work from,” he said.

Remote working is not a fad, decentralised asynchronous teams are here to stay and Remote Social provides a place to play together, learn together and grow together. Black Nova are not only investors, but active participants and are proud to lead this round.”