Rising Team Raises $8 Million Series A and Introduces Personalized AI Leadership Coach for Building High-Performing Teams

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Jun 06, 2024, 09:00 ET

The team performance platform will use the funding to expand its guided team workshop software, grow its team, and increase market presence.

MENLO PARK, Calif., June 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rising Team, the industry-leading team performance platform, today announces the completion of its Series A funding of $8 million. The round was led by Zeal Capital Partners alongside previous investors including Peterson Ventures, Roble Ventures, Female Founders Fund, Burst Capital, and Supernode Ventures. This investment allows Rising Team to enhance its team performance platform with AI, hire new team members, and expand its market presence.

Rising Team addresses the challenges that leaders in hybrid and distributed workplaces face in building high-trust, high-performing teams. As efficiency mandates continue, middle managers are under pressure to "do more with less" and 75% of them report feeling overwhelmed according to Gartner. This makes Rising Team–which equips managers at all levels to improve team effectiveness and strengthen trust and connection–especially critical.

Rising Team software enables managers to lead science-backed team development workshops and connection-building exercises that increase trust and improve performance, without an outside facilitator. By running these software-guided team sessions, Rising Team customers see significant lifts in employee engagement, psychological safety, eNPS and manager effectiveness. This summer, Rising Team will introduce aRTi, a conversational AI leadership coach that combines research-based leadership best practices with unique insights about individual team members gathered from Rising Team sessions. aRTi offers personalized recommendations and scripts, helping managers and their teams provide effective feedback, accommodate working style preferences, show appreciation, and more.

"We expect today's leaders to build engaged, high-performing teams, even in distributed and hybrid workplaces. However, while companies regularly measure employee engagement, they often leave managers without tools to help them improve it," said Jennifer Dulski, Founder & CEO of Rising Team. "We're thrilled to have support from Zeal Capital as we enhance our platform so managers at every level can increase engagement, connection, and performance on their teams. Rising Team is helping leaders become more effective by combining deep human connection with intuitive AI capabilities that support every leader and team inside an organization."

Rising Team's customers range from Fortune 500 technology, manufacturing and financial services companies, to mid-sized companies and scaling startups, to government agencies and schools. By running Rising Team sessions, customers achieve:

90%+ of team members reporting they feel more connected
Up to 60% higher eNPS scores after completing 4 Rising Team sessions
20-40% increase in intent to stay

"The role of team development tools in today's workplace is crucial for maintaining culture and profitability" said Nasir Qadree, Founder and Managing Partner at Zeal Capital Partners. "Our firm is committed to scaling businesses that narrow skills gaps and enhance employee collaboration, and Rising Team is executing this strategy by pioneering advancements in team performance software to empower middle managers and leaders at all levels. We have strong conviction in the company's mission and are excited to invest in Rising Team's next stage of growth."

For more information, visit risingteam.com or refer to our guide 4 Ways to Build Psychological Safety & Trust in Teams.

About Rising Team

Rising Team provides the industry leading team performance platform. Its software enables companies to increase employee engagement and retention, scale talent development, and improve culture and connection. Covering all the leadership topics that drive high-performing teams, the software equips managers with everything they need to run deeply connecting, fun, and interactive team-building sessions, remotely or in-person, without needing an outside facilitator. Leading companies, including Bank of Hawaii, Yahoo!, DXC, Achieve, and many more, are using Rising Team to develop stronger managers and higher performing teams.

About Zeal Capital Partners

Zeal Capital Partners is a leading venture capital firm based in Washington, DC that invests in diverse management teams building enduring companies to generate above-market rate returns and impact. Zeal partners with founders who are building high-growth, early-stage businesses across the financial technology, employment pathways, and health equity verticals. Founded in 2020 by Nasir Qadree, Zeal leverages its market-backed Inclusive Investing™ strategy to narrow wealth, skills, and healthcare gaps in the United States, and at scale globally.

Contact: Steph Hadas
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SOURCE Rising Team