UKG, a leading provider of HR, payroll, and workforce management solutions for all people, today introduced its second cohort of early-stage companies — from four different countries — as part of its fast-growing, in-house global startup ecosystem and virtual laboratory, UKG Labs.
UKG Labs exists to accelerate innovation in every workplace by identifying and nurturing early-stage companies building products in service of people. For its sophomore class, UKG scanned the market for new technologies that bring value to the frontline workforce in the flow of work. Selected through a rigorous vetting process, portfolio companies demonstrate a commitment to helping people thrive at work while ensuring businesses achieve their goals.
This newest class includes:
- Bites, based in Israel, which is on a mission to enable every organization to train, onboard, and engage with their frontline employees successfully and effectively;
- Denim, based in the U.S., with solutions to help employers improve performance while retaining talent and ensuring the deskless workforce feels valued, rewarded, and heard;
- Hop In Technologies, based in Canada, which works to address transportation and mobility barriers for organizations and their employees; and
- Mo, based in the U.K., which makes it easier for busy managers to meaningfully recognize and engage their employees.
UKG collaborates with startup founders who are looking for something more personal than capital from a strategic investor. Through UKG Labs, each portfolio company develops an individualized, outcome-based engagement plan driven by their needs and interests, with collaboration points throughout UKG.
Working together with UKG, startups identify areas of co-learning, co-creation, and co-experimentation and gain clarity and direction on specific market problems where UKG has expertise. Reciprocally, by working alongside Labs companies, participating U Krewers are empowered to enter new domains, build new skills, and bring back entrepreneur-like energy to their roles and teams with a new perspective on relevant market challenges to help UKG customers become great places to work. Startup founders also work directly with UKG customers to explore new solutions and help shape emerging HR and HCM technologies.
“Across all that we do, our goal is to help businesses be great places to work for all people,” said Hugo Sarrazin, chief product and technology officer at UKG. “UKG Labs helps bring us closer to that goal by building an ecosystem of technology companies that share our vision, and work to deliver solutions that help businesses operate more efficiently, while ensuring people feel supported and valued.”
The startup founders completed the three-month onboarding engagement and will exhibit at the UKG Aspire 2023 conference to showcase their innovations and provide UKG customers with an opportunity to explore their solutions.
