Richmond, Virginia, Dec. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virginia Venture Partners (formerly CIT GAP Funds), the equity investment program of Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), today announced an investment in happyly. Virginia Beach, Virginia-based happyly is an innovative corporate wellness benefit that helps parents effectively balance time with family to be happier and more productive at work. happyly will use this investment to continue developing the product, customer experience, content and sales to serve more companies and their employees across the US.
Working parents spend up to ten hours a week planning how to spend their limited family time. The happyly app is designed to inspire an active lifestyle, helping to reduce employee stress, optimize the quality of their free time, and ultimately improve overall retention. happyly delivers personalized outdoor experiences for team members and their families, eliminating hours of research and preserving that time for joy and connection outside of work. An easy-to-use, nationwide app, happyly encourages families to get off their screens and out into the world.
“Learning to balance work, family, and your own mental and physical health can be a challenge. As a mom, I wanted to build something that would make it easier for me and other parents to find quality experiences to share with our families,” says Caitlin Iseler, Founder and CEO of happyly. “I’m a big believer in the power of the outdoors in terms of mental and physical health. When I was struggling as a new mom, I relied on the benefits of getting outside with my daughter. I really feel the difference in how I show up to work when I’ve taken care of myself and my family so we’ve made fresh air fun our primary focus. We are grateful for the support of Virginia Venture Partners to expand the happyly app so we can support more working parents and they too can benefit from the tools we are so excited to share.”
Corporations understand the need and value of supporting their employees, even outside the office. Founded in 2019, the happyly app provides activities and personalized adventure plans, helping families find 5-star low to no cost experiences in under sixty seconds. happyly partners with corporations seeking creative physical and mental wellness solutions, offering a subscription service to companies with a large working parent population.
“happyly is transforming the antiquated family information services space. The app was developed to deliver information as quickly as possible, and the founding team knows firsthand how valuable their time with family is,” said Jennifer O’Daniel, Senior Investment Director, Virginia Venture Partners. “We believe happyly has the potential to positively impact the mental health of both corporate employees and their children. The happyly app is a toolbox for engaging with nature and identifying ways to be happier overall, and taking work off of parents’ plates to make it easier for them to make healthy choices for their families. We look forward to watching happyly’s continued success.”
About happyly
The happyly team built an intuitive app that serves as a corporate wellness solution for physical and mental health. Available in more than 40 cities and counting, happyly members can explore ambassador-approved activities in their hometown and while traveling. Focusing on low to no-cost opportunities for an active lifestyle, options include playgrounds, parks, hikes, bike trails, places to splash, family-friendly eats and more. Additionally, the community has access to the happyly volunteer concierge for support partnering with preference-based service opportunities in their communities. With these tools at their fingertips, members save hours of planning time each week and spend more of their limited free time living an active lifestyle with their loved ones in order to improve their overall physical and mental health. For more information, visit https://www.happyly.com and download the app today!
About Virginia Venture Partners
Virginia Venture Partners, formerly CIT GAP Funds, is the equity investment program of VIPC that makes seed-stage equity investments in Virginia-based technology, clean energy, and life science companies with a high potential for achieving rapid growth and generating a significant economic return for entrepreneurs, co-investors, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Since its inception in 2005, Virginia Venture Partners has deployed $32.4 million in capital across more than 250 portfolio companies, including 17 companies in designated Opportunity Zones. Virginia Venture Partners’ investment decisions are guided by the Virginia Venture Partners Investment Advisory Board (IAB). This independent, third-party panel has drawn from the expertise of leading regional entrepreneurs, angel, and strategic investors, and venture capital firms such as New Enterprise Associates, Grotech Ventures, Harbert Venture Partners HIG Ventures, Edison Ventures, In-Q-Tel, Intersouth Partners, SJF Ventures, Carilion Health Systems, Johnson & Johnson, General Electric, and Alpha Natural Resources. For more information, please visit www.virginiaipc.org/vvp.
About Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)
VIPC connects innovators with opportunities. The nonprofit operations arm of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA), VIPC is the commercialization and seed-stage economic development driver in the Commonwealth that leads funding, infrastructure, and policy initiatives to support Virginia's innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, and market development strategies. VIPC collaborates with local, regional, state, and federal partners to support the expansion and diversification of Virginia’s economy.
Programs include: Virginia Venture Partners | Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) | Smart Communities | Unmanned Systems | Cybersecurity |SBIR/STTR Support (Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) & Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs) | Entrepreneurial Ecosystems | Virginia Research Investment Fund (VRIF) | Regional Innovation Fund| University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement. For more information, please visit www.VirginiaIPC.org. Follow VIPC on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
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