In the era of remote working, London-based Sona, an all-purpose ‘people operating system’ for deskless workers has secured $6.8 million. This round comes just four months after the company’s pre-seed raise. With this round, the startup has raised $9 million since its launch.
Who invested in Sona?
The investment round was led by Google’s Gradient Ventures. Further, it was joined by prominent new angel investors, including Anthony Danon (Partner at Cocoa), Maximilian Bittner (CEO at Vestiaire Collective), Graham Paterson (Product Partner at Connect Ventures), Andrej-Nicolai Henkler (CEO at Leblon Capital), Invested (Anna Brandt and Noor van Boven), and Sri Pangulur.
Also, existing investors, including Monzo founder Tom Blomfield, early-stage VC Speedinvest, Andy Leaver (Operating Partner at Notion Capital), Lorenzo Franzi (Partner at Flash Ventures), and several partners from Novator Partners participated in the round.
Besides the investment, Asif Moosani (Investor at Gradient Ventures) and Markus Lang (Partner at Speedinvest) have joined Sona’s board.
Sona will use the investment to triple its team, with a particular focus on engineering and product development, and to continue its strong growth trajectory. It will be used for the growth of Sona’s easy-to-use app for frontline workers.
Oli Johnson, Co-founder of Sona, said, “We’re beyond elated to have the support of world-class investors and customers who share our passion for transforming the world of deskless work.”
Asif Moosani, Investor at Gradient Ventures said, “Scheduling, shift management, and surrounding communications are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Great Resignation. Steffen and his team empower frontline workers by simplifying their workflows. We’re excited to back Sona as they bring this ecosystem into the digital age.”
Aidan Daly, Director of HR and L&D at Praxis Care, added: “I believe Sona will revolutionise how we manage our rosters, providing our employees with more visibility and control over the shifts they want to work. The beauty of the product is that employees, who are rarely at a desk, are able to pick up shifts, book leave and have control over their working patterns all through their mobile devices.”
Easy-to-use platform for deskless workers
Founded by repeat founders Oli Johnson, Steffen Wulff Petersen and Ben Dixon in 2021, Sona provides deskless workers with an easy-to-use platform to manage everything related to work.
The company combines the power of modern workforce management software with a user experience that simplifies and centralises everyday work tasks for frontline workers, who typically spend most of their working hours away from a desk.
Sona was created for industries that employ deskless shift-based staff such as health and social care, retail, hospitality, and the voluntary sector. It lets employees access vital functions such as scheduling, shift allocations, attendance records, and one-to-one and one-to-many communication with a tap.
Within a few months of its debut, Sona launched its platform to an early set of customers. It covers over 10,000 deskless workers within the UK and Ireland.
Idea behind ‘People operating systems’
Sona works with the mission to put technology in the hands of frontline staff. It transforms the way they manage their work and engage with their employers. It is designed for the specific needs of modern frontline workplaces.
Sona’s ‘people operating system’ combines powerful productivity tools with a sleek, simple and intuitive user experience. It offers features, including live schedule view, absence management, instant messaging, and an innovative shift booking platform that matches shift vacancies with employees willing to take on more hours.
Sona helps companies reduce staffing agency spending by 35%, fill 70% of available shifts within 24 hours, and save managers an estimated five hours a week.
