PALO ALTO, CA--(Marketwired - Feb 18, 2014) - SparkLabs Global Ventures (http://www.sparklabsglobal.com), a global seed-stage fund, announced that John Pleasants, former Co-President of Disney Interactive and former COO of Electronic Arts, has joined as an advisor to their fund.
"I'm excited to be part of SparkLabs Global because the depth of their experiences and global reach. The timing for a such a seed-stage fund is ideal because of how rapidly innovation and great companies are being founded throughout the world, and many are looking for help to cross the Pacific and Atlantic which this team excels at," explained John Pleasants.
The global seed-stage fund additionally announced their first investment in the HCM (human capital management) tech space, Good.co, which seeks to fix hiring with user-driven analytics that measure culture-fit. The company raised $1.45 million from Norwest, SparkLabs Global Ventures and other venture capital funds.
The company is taking a provocative, consumer-first approach by building the world's largest culture graph of talent and companies through user-driven data. Their playful experience is powered by a scientifically-valid and self-learning algorithm that takes 90% less time compared to traditional assessments. Good.co's social features have fueled rapid collection of data-assets on users' personalities, peers, teams, and workplaces -- allowing the company to create a more efficient co-selection process. Gartner estimates the HCM market to hit $8.3 billion in 2014 and $8.8 billion in 2015.
"We love Good.co's product and the need in the market it seeks fill by providing culture-driven analytics for companies and provides tools to help people find the best fit for their careers. Before, company culture was a known but intangible factor towards the growth and success of a company. Good.co makes culture more tangible and executives more confident that they can built a successful company environment," stated Bernard Moon, General Partner at SparkLabs Global.
SparkLabs Global Ventures also recently invested in Zanbato, a platform that supports marketplaces, private clubs of investors, and independent wealth managers playing in the Alternative Asset Classes. The company was co-founded by Joe Lonsdale (co-founder of Palantir Technologies), Nico Sand, Dan Settel, and Kevin Leung.
"SparkLabs Global is a big believer in FinTech and we are excited about helping Zanbato continue on its path to become the platform for alternative investment activities. We love their vision and the team," stated Frank Meehan, General Partner at SparkLabs Global.
About SparkLabs Global Ventures
SparkLabs Global Ventures is a new seed-stage investment fund. We believe business is now truly global, but most investors are not. Exceptional entrepreneurs that are building strong, category defining companies can be found anywhere. SparkLabs Global is a team of highly experienced entrepreneurs and operators based in London, Tel Aviv, Seoul, Singapore and Palo Alto, CA that will focus on helping our entrepreneurs to develop, grow, network, and scale into other markets throughout the world. For more information, please visit www.sparklabsglobal.com
Contact Information:
Contact:
Bernard Moon
Co-founder
+1-650-454-5244
