MakuSafe  has announced a $3m seed round, bringing its total funding to date to ~$4.5m. EMC Insurance and Next Level Ventures participated in the round.

DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — MakuSafe (“MakuSafe” or the “Company”), the safety technology leader, announced that the Company closed its nearly $3 million seed round.

This brings the total funds raised by the Company to nearly $4.5 million. Funding has come from a number of capital groups, including EMC Insurance Companies, Next Level Ventures, and The Best of the Midwest. The Company plans to use the capital to hire key personnel and to scale the manufacturing of MakuSafe’s proprietary technology.

MakuSafe has developed a sophisticated system for gathering real-time environmental and human motion data to identify workplace risk. The MakuSmart cloud platform uses machine learning to process millions of data points gathered by wearable armband devices invented by the Company. Jason W. Gross, Vice President of Strategy & Business Transformation at EMC Insurance Companies stated, “Our agents and policyholders count on EMC to provide insurance products and, at the same time, help policyholders mitigate and manage their risks. That’s why we are investing in and partnering with companies like MakuSafe that are leveraging new technology and analytics to make our workplaces and workers even safer.” 

Each day, more than 1,000 employees worldwide lose their life to a workplace accident. In the United States alone, well over $1 Billion is paid out each week in worker’s compensation claims. With the data gathered from the wearable devices, MakuSafe customers can gain deeper insights into their workforce and operations, resulting in mitigating workplace risks and reducing worker compensation claims.

“For several years we’ve been conducting tests in facilities around Central Iowa and using the results of those tests to fine-tune our product,” said MakuSafe CEO and co-founder Gabriel Glynn. “We’re truly excited about the progress we’ve made and are looking forward to getting through the manufacturing process so we can begin to provide product to awaiting customers.” Scott Hoekman, Principal of Next Level Ventures commented, “Next Level Ventures could not be more excited to invest in MakuSafe. In addition, MakuSafe is creating a product which incorporates hardware, software, worker safety, and insurance. This intriguing combination really resonates with Iowa’s growing startup ecosystem as well as two of Iowa’s core industries – manufacturing and insurance. And with this financing we are eager to see MakuSafe accelerate its growth and bolster its innovative solution.”

This past Fall, MakuSafe was selected to pitch at The Best of the Midwest, an angel capital event that took place in Des Moines, IA. Accredited investors from around the Midwest pooled money together and collectively picked which participating startups would receive investment. MakuSafe was selected for investment from the group. “Plains Angels and the Angel Capital Association – The Best of the Midwest group, is proud to invest in MakuSafe.  They not only have a great business outlook but their product will save lives and limit accidents,” said Mike Colwell, Co-Manager of Plains Angels.

“Access to Angel and Venture Capital is a vital part of a healthy startup ecosystem, especially for startups tackling large-scale problems that require extensive engineering,” said Glynn. “We are delighted to have found financial support from investors here in Central Iowa and around the Midwest. Raising nearly $4.5 million dollars is no small task, but in doing so we can serve as yet another example of a growing and maturing startup ecosystem in the Heartland.”

About MakuSafe

MakuSafe is a Software as a Service (SaaS), Data, and Analytics company based in America’s Heartland. Our mission is to improve worker health, safety, and productivity while reducing worker’s compensation claims and mitigating workplace risks. Founded in West Des Moines, Iowa in 2016 by Gabriel Glynn and Mark Frederick, MakuSafe has developed proprietary wearable technology that gathers real-time environmental and motion data from workers. Our cloud platform, MakuSmart, then uses machine learning to identify high-risk trends in the facility. The portal auto-records near-miss leading indicators, proactively targets loss control resources to specific conditions & occurrences, and streamlines compliance reporting. Learn more at https://youtu.be/vy8VB8stx4A(video) and https://makusafe.com/news

MEDIA CONTACT: Eric Olson 
515.453.2105 
[email protected]

PSG invests in hypergrowth HR platform to extend the BirdDogHR leadership position in talent management. BirdDogHR serves as a cornerstone company for Arcoro.

DES MOINES, Iowa – August 15, 2018 – BirdDogHR™, the leader in talent management solutions for the construction, engineering and skilled trades industries, has received investment by Providence Strategic Growth Capital Partners L.L.C. (PSG), an affiliate of Providence Equity Partners L.L.C. Todd Skokan remains the President and CEO of BirdDogHR. He, the BirdDogHR leadership team and all BirdDogHR employees will continue to grow the business, serve customers and deliver BirdDogHR integrated talent management software and services.

As a part of the overall platform strategy, PSG has created Arcoro. Arcoro is the proven human capital management (HCM) software and services provider for high consequence industries and features cornerstone companies BirdDogHR and sister company, ExakTime. ExakTime is a mobile, cloud-based solution for time and attendance tracking known for its ease and seamless integration with payroll. Both companies will maintain their company names and brands but will now be known as part of the Arcoro family of human capital management solutions.

The market is vehement for easy-to-use, cloud-based software. Both BirdDogHR and ExakTime are growing quickly and are leaders in their focus areas of integrated talent management and time and attendance respectively. With over 8,000 customers in high consequence industries, such as construction, energy, home health care and manufacturing, both companies understand and have established solutions to help companies maximize workforce performance and efficiencies, build ROI and limit the risk associated with human capital management. PSG, BirdDogHR and ExakTime company leaders see synergies in joining forces as Arcoro because customers from both companies can leverage new capabilities.

McGill Restoration, a building restoration business based in Omaha, Nebraska, utilizes both ExakTime’s and BirdDogHR’s services for their human capital management. “We’re happy that ExakTime and BirdDogHR are now part of the Arcoro group, because they work really well together,” says Blake Berke, CFO at McGill Restoration. “We rely heavily on both solutions to streamline our recruiting, hiring, employee tracking and payroll processes.” Manager of Human Resources Kim Roberts adds, “When I hire someone through BirdDogHR I immediately onboard them into ExakTime. They go hand in hand. It’s a smooth process. Having the web-based reporting and custom reports from both systems at my fingertips is also invaluable.”

“This growth equity investment is a great testament to the strength of our team and the success of our customers. We are excited to join forces with PSG to expedite product innovation and ensure customer satisfaction. With this new investment in the company, the future is exciting at BirdDogHR and strong momentum will continue,” said Todd Skokan, President and CEO of BirdDogHR.

“BirdDogHR has had impressive success bringing enterprise grade talent management and compliance solutions to the high consequence industries where they matter most. The Company’s product suite helps its customers effectively nurture their workforces using industry-specific best practices. We, at PSG, are thrilled to partner with Todd and his team, and welcome them to the Arcoro family,” said Gopi Vaddi, PSG Managing Director.

The BirdDogHR Talent Management System automates, simplifies and streamlines human capital management processes including recruiting, onboarding, performance management, learning and succession planning. Recruiting top talent is easy with a simple apply process and enhanced job distribution. Onboarding automates manual paperwork and gets employees on the job faster. Performance management, supported by learning opportunities, improves employee engagement. Finally, succession planning prepares employees for growth opportunities that keep them invested in the company. From start to finish the system is integrated, full featured and mobile-friendly. To see the system in action, schedule a demo online.

About BirdDogHR

BirdDogHR offers comprehensive talent management software and managed services — everything you need to guide the entire employee lifecycle. The cloud-based talent management system is straightforward and easy to use, so you can safely focus on implementing strategy — not learning new software or worrying it won’t keep up with changing regulations. Managed services operate as an extension of your HR department and deliver the expertise and focus you need. Organizations can see ROI in effective growth management, bottom line results and compliance peace of mind. BirdDogHR specializes in high-consequence and government contracting industries because they have unique needs. Companies from other industries can use the BirdDogHR talent management solution — and they do — but the solution is built with the most rigorous compliance needs in mind. To learn more, visit www.birddoghr.com and follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

About ExakTime

Founded in 1999, ExakTime is the 20-year leader in time and attendance tracking for construction and field services and the #1-selling system in North America. ExakTime’s cloud-based wireless, mobile, and rugged timekeeping solutions are easy to implement and use for any size company. Accurate digital time tracking and convenient payroll syncing streamlines operations, saving businesses time and money and ensuring they remain compliant. Easy access from any location and powerful reporting provide the insights businesses need to effectively manage their growing workforces. ExakTime is used daily by more than a quarter million workers from dozens of industries in more than 20 countries. For more information, visit www.exaktime.com.

About Arcoro

Arcoro combines proven human capital management (HCM) software solutions designed to help high compliance and high consequence companies improve efficiencies, limit risk and build high-performing teams. With over 8000 customers and 360,000 daily users in 20 countries around the world, the easy-to-use, cloud-based HCM software and services are designed to give organizations the competitive edge needed to scale and grow effectively and efficiently. Visit us online at www.arcoro.com.

About Providence Strategic Growth

Providence Strategic Growth Capital Partners L.L.C. (“PSG”) is an affiliate of Providence Equity Partners L.L.C (“Providence”). Established in 2014, PSG focuses on growth equity investments in lower middle market software and technology-enabled service companies, primarily in North America. Providence is a premier, global asset management firm with $50 billion in capital under management across complementary private equity and credit businesses. Providence pioneered a sector-focused approach to private equity investing with the vision that a dedicated team of industry experts could build exceptional companies of enduring value. Since the firm’s inception in 1989, Providence has invested in more than 150 companies and is the leading equity investment firm focused on the media, communications, education and information industries. Providence is headquartered in Providence, R.I., and has offices in New York, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New Delhi. For more information on PSG, visit www.provequity.com/private-equity/psg and for more information on Providence Equity, please visit www.provequity.com.