The start up enables organisations to better assist their employees juggle parental leave and raising a family while working. The core product of Circle In offers a customised engagement platform for employers to provide to their community of working parents.
Co-founded by Kate Pollard and Jodi Geddes, Circle In has generated significant market traction within 12 months and is rapidly expanding into global markets. The startup, which has partnered with leading global brands including Medibank, Programmed, Coca-Cola Amatil, Estée Lauder, L’Oréal and Ashurst.
“Our Innovation Fund shares our passion and vision for Circle In – we’re both committed to improving the lives of working parents,” Geddes said.
“The funding and our partnership with Our Innovation Fund adds incredible strategic expertise and value to help us materially scale and support more working parents in Australia and internationally.”
Our Innovation Fund partner, Laurence Schwartz, said that Circle In takes support for working parents to a new level, enhancing benefits for employees and their employers.
“From the moment we met Jodi and Kate, we knew we wanted to partner with them as they are incredibly passionate, focused and driven to enable real change for parents,” Mr Schwartz said.
“Organisations are realising that the culture they set has direct benefits on attracting, engaging and retaining top talent. Circle In helps in these three key HR focuses.
“We’re very excited about the value that Circle In is bringing to their customers, community and working parents around the globe,” he said.
Pollard and Geddes are both parents themselves and recognised the need for better support for working parents, having experienced issues first hand while on parental leave.
Now, one year after establishing Circle In, the pair are seeing the direct results of their online portal.
Eighty-two percent of parents using the Circle In product claim it has made them feel more positive towards their organisation. Seventy-three per cent would be more inclined to recommend their company as a result of the support shown towards working parents.