Podio, which describes itself as a connected work platform, has secured $4m in Series A funding. Sunstone Capital led the round and the investment is said be used to further develop Podio’s product and to hire “key employees”.
A sort of collaborative social network for the Enterprise or ‘Facebook for the workplace’, Podio operates in the so-called Enterprise 2.0 space providing tools such as messaging, calendars, tasks, and contact management. However, it doesn’t stop there. Podio also gives users the ability to build their own ‘apps’ without any technical knowledge. Over 2,000 apps have already been built by users, which include CRM systems, meeting planners, process facilitation, recruiting, contract drafting and employee feedback. Naturally, there’s an accompanying app store too.
Podio’s founder and CEO is also noteworthy. The Copenhagen, Demark-based startup is founded by Tommy Ahlers who sold his ‘social phonebook’ ZYB to Vodafone in 2008 for €31 million. Ahlers says that 6,000 organizations are already using Podio, which is currently operating as an invite-only Beta, although users can apply for an invite.
Obviously, Podio is operating in a crowded space, from the likes of BaseCamp, Yammer to Trampoline Systems and Huddle, along with something more traditional like Microsoft Sharepoint. Podio’s pitch, of course, is that it’s the only such service to let users “create their own tools and work environment”. And now with significant money in the bank, the startup has the runway to see if that vision will really take off.
