New Funding and Jobs for Irish Tech Start-up Inclusio
24th January 2023
Irish tech-start up inclusio, has announced plans to create 80 jobs in the next 18-24 months on the back of a €6.2m funding investment in the unique diversity and inclusion platform. The Enterprise Ireland-backed firm made the announcement in light of collective funding raised in its latest seed round, totalling €4.1m. This latest funding round was led by Elkstone and backed by Atlantic Bridge, Enterprise Ireland, and Oyster Capital, as well as private investors Brian Caulfield, John Hearne and Wakeup Capital.
CEO and Founder of Inclusio Sandra Healy said:
“This funding and jobs boost will further help us on our journey of scaling our team and offering our knowledge and expertise to ensure companies can get Diversity and Inclusion right and ensure that it’s not a tickbox exercise.”
The additional team members will help the company expand into new markets and build on its existing customer base. The new roles will run across Technology, Sales and Marketing based at its headquarters in Dublin which already has 35 people employed.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney TD, said: “I know that inclusio has ambitious global plans and is already seeing massive international growth and interest in its offering. Diversity, inclusion, dignity and respect in the workplace are core elements with which this Government wants to continue to build our economy. inclusio is championing this and will play a leadership role in offering employers tangible technological solutions in this space going forward.”
An evidence-based proposition
inclusio is developed by experts in behavioural data science, psychology, artificial intelligence, equality, diversity and inclusion. The company works with organisations — both in the private and public sector — providing them with scientific, evidence-based data and inclusion insights linked to their business KPIs and ROI.
“There is nothing else like inclusio in the world,” said CEO Sandry Healy. “In 2016, inclusio set out to solve a problem and bring a scientific-evidenced approach for employers to listen to the collective voice of their people and to measure, track and act on Diversity and Inclusion.
Our software helps organisations pinpoint and focus Diversity and Inclusion actions in a more strategic way. We are now beginning to create international and sector benchmarks — with a focus on leading the way globally in this space,” she added.
In 2015, Sandra founded the world’s first Centre of Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion research at Dublin City University. Between 2016 and 2020, she and her colleagues Deborah Murphy and Arthur Lubambo were supported via Enterprise Ireland’s Commercialisation Fund to develop “inclusio”.
“Enterprise Ireland is delighted to have partnered with inclusio at each stage of its rapid growth journey through research commercialisation, our flagship High Potential Start-up Programme and in international markets,”said Enterprise Ireland CEO Leo Clancy.
inclusio spun-out as a private company in 2020 and is currently working closely with Ulster University and Stanford University in the US on a project around accommodations for neurodivergent staff, for example, people with autism.
Niall McEvoy, Venture Partner at Elkstone commented:
“Diversity and Inclusion is a critical issue for modern leadership teams in building the businesses of the future.
inclusio has developed a category leading platform based on the data science of D&I, offering company leadership teams real data driven insights to develop and deliver actionable solutions to drive organisational change. The leadership team at inclusio are already recognised global thought leaders in the space. We look forward to working to support the team at inclusio in delivering accelerated growth across global markets.”
