After a successful launch in May, Switchboard continues to introduce new product features and expand team
SAN FRANCISCO, July 27, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Switchboard, the cloud coworking space, today announced a $25M in Series A funding led by Icon Ventures, with participation from existing investors Sequoia Capital, XYZ Venture Capital, and Spark Capital. The Series A brings Switchboard's total funding to date to just over $38M.
Switchboard launched publicly into beta in May, and has seen an overwhelmingly positive response from users experiencing a new and more effective way to collaborate. With the additional funding, Switchboard plans to continue to develop new product features and expand the team with a focus on hiring more engineering, product, and marketing professionals.
"Our beta launch was so successful because we struck a nerve with the promise of better collaboration. People are using Switchboard from all over the world, across different types of organizations, from startups, agencies, higher education and beyond." said Amir Ashkenazi, CEO and founder of Switchboard. "They recognize current communications tools we have simply aren't working for what we need in remote and hybrid work environments. Switchboard is revolutionizing consumer expectations in remote work."
Unlike video conferencing, Switchboard is able to emulate the in-person experience to make remote collaboration just as good as in real life through the following features:
- Content Focus: During video conferencing, the focus is on faces, and how we present versus the content being discussed. Switchboard has the same video and audio functions as video conferencing, but the focus is also on the content being shared and collaborated on in the web-based browser.
- Interaction: Switchboard makes you feel like you are working side-by-side, and removes the performative feel of video conferencing. Everyone in the room has the same capabilities to join and work together (at the same time) in physical web applications like Google Docs or Figma.
- Tools: All web-based applications are compatible in Switchboard's browser space, allowing users to bring their favorite collaboration tools together.
- Context: Each room saves all content added during a meeting including browsers, documents, and chat. This saves teams time and allows people to pick up where they left off instead of losing everything at the end of a video call.
- Communication: Video conferencing calls are usually scheduled, inherently giving them a formal feel. Switchboard rooms can be used for scheduled meetings, but they bring the informal feel of an office space by allowing users to pop into rooms for any spontaneous questions or conversations.
See more of Switchboard's game-changing features for collaboration here.
"We pride ourselves on partnering with innovative companies that have the potential to be category leaders," said Jeb Miller, General Partner at Icon Ventures, who will be joining the Company's Board of Directors. "Switchboard is transforming how teams collaborate. Whether remote, in person or hybrid, Switchboard's platform alleviates the struggle of maintaining human connectivity and fosters better teamwork in a distributed workplace. Looking at the market, I see the potential for companies of all shapes and sizes to benefit from Switchboard's superior tools. The future of work is here, and we're so thrilled to be a part of bringing people together for better collaboration on a global level."
Switchboard's original seed round included participation from The General Partnership, Dylan Field (CEO & Co-founder, Figma), Joe Thomas (CEO, Loom), John Lilly (former CEO, Mozilla), Akshay Kothari (COO, Notion) and others.
"The success of Switchboard's beta launch clearly validates the strong desire for new, innovative ways to collaborate in our virtual world," said Mike Vernal, partner at Sequoia Capital. "Switchboard's success is no surprise to us and we are proud to continue our partnership as they make continued strides toward empowering the future of connectivity."
"We were immediately drawn to Switchboard because we believe this is the greatest way to collaborate," said Ross Fubini, founder and managing partner of XYZ Venture Capital. "As the original investors in the company, we couldn't be more thrilled to see the world appreciate the amazing potential of this platform."
Switchboard beta is currently hiring across engineering, product, and marketing. To learn more about the remote opportunities at Switchboard, visit https://boards.greenhouse.io/switchboard or contact [email protected].
Switchboard Beta is currently free to all users. To learn more and try Switchboard today, visit http://www.switchboard.app.
About Switchboard
Switchboard is the cloud coworking space. We power remote work by bringing together teams and tools for side-by-side collaboration.
Switchboard allows users to both video conference and work within multiple web-based applications — from Google Docs and Figma, to Trello and Jira — in a single virtual room. Instead of toggling between tabs and apps or having to share a screen, users are able to bring all of their materials to a shared space, making working together on the same project as seamless as if they were in the office together.
Users can also create permanent public and private rooms that keep all the apps and files for projects and recurring meetings open for the next time they're ready to collaborate. Each room has a "meeting memory," which includes a history of chat threads and the content shared, making meeting prep and wrap-up faster than ever.
Switchboard was founded in 2020 by Amir Ashkenazi and currently holds five patents for their technology. Their world-class team includes alums from Apple, eBay, Samsung, Mozilla, and Dropbox.
Switchboard Beta is currently available and free to all users who are interested. Learn more at switchboard.app.
Media Contact
Gabby Ferguson, Switchboard, 309-202-0670, [email protected]
SOURCE Switchboard
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