ShiftPlanning announces next-generation workforce management platform Humanity, fresh funding of $3.2m

SAN FRANCISCO - 17, SEPT. 2014

Cloud-based employee scheduling application ShiftPlanning today unveiled a major evolution in its product line – an end-to-end workforce management platform, Humanity, plus details of a fresh $3.2m funding injection.

Launched in 2010 in San Francisco, ShiftPlanning now has over 500,000 users in 87 countries utilizing its employee scheduling software. Spanning a diverse set of industries including restaurant, retail, medical and non-profit, existing clients range from independent stores to Fortune 500 companies. Use cases vary from organizing volunteer scheduling for the London 2012 Olympics to recruiting patients for research studies at Yale University School of Medicine.

Touted as a next-generation management platform, Humanity extends beyond ShiftPlanning to provide a full suite of custom apps to cover all aspects of workforce management. Scheduling, Time and Attendance and Leave Management are all controlled from a customizable dashboard, with easy data export to Payroll or custom reports.

Additional modules are planned for the future, including an assortment of options to increase employee engagement.

Founder and CEO Ryan Fyfe explains: "Over the past four years our team has been working closely with thousands of small businesses around the world. And we've learned a lot along the way, watching as our first product, ShiftPlanning, evolved to become a solution that hundreds of thousands around the world have come to trust."

"Among the numerous industries that we serve, we’ve recognized a need for a comprehensive business solution that consolidates complex HR tasks and gives owners, managers, and staff more freedom to be successful. Aligning those fundamentals, I'm proud to announce Humanity as the next major iteration of our platform, as we move from a Scheduling Application to a full Business Management platform. "

There are no plans to cancel ShiftPlanning service in the future, and clients active on the ShiftPlanning application will continue to have world-class service and support available 24/7. Both platforms have iOS and Android apps, so that schedules, leave and notifications can be accessed by employers/managers and employees on the go.

The new funding total follows on from a previously announced $1.1m Series A in 2012, bringing the total invested to-date to $4.3m. Co-investors in both rounds are Berlin-based VCs Point Nine Capital and San Francisco investors MHS Capital. Various angel contributions were also made by CEO Ryan Fyfe; Ken Fyfe; David Charron, VP Business Development for the company and Steven Lurie, founder of Team Builder Ventures.

"The Humanity platform brings together usability, smart design, and custom features to help managers and employees better organize and stay connected through an evolving suite of apps. This additional funding will support further development of Humanity, and help us to connect with small business owners and employees around the world," says Fyfe.

Christoph Janz, cofounder and Managing Partner at Point Nine Capital, said: "I'm thrilled about this huge milestone in the evolution of the company. With the launch of Humanity, ShiftPlanning once again raises the bar - now for the entire "HR 2.0" space."

Mark Sugarman, founder and Managing Partner of MHS Capital added: "With the launch of the new Humanity platform, the team at ShiftPlanning is redefining how companies manage and engage with their employees. The platform's robust suite of HR tools sets a new standard for best-in-class workforce management, and we could not be more excited to partner with Ryan and the team as they take the company to the next level.