Mercu raises $1.6m Seed round to boost deskless workforce enablement

Mercu, a platform focused on helping employers manage and retain their deskless workforce, has raised $1.6 million in seed funding.

Investors include TEN13, 500 Global, Flying Fox Ventures, Archangel Ventures, XA Network, and existing investor Sequoia Capital India. Mercu supports businesses such as Guzman Y Gomez in Singapore and Sam Prince Hospitality Group in Australia.

Deskless workers make up 70% of the global workforce, yet most existing enablement solutions cater to office-based employees. Mercu allows employers in industries like retail, logistics, hospitality, and manufacturing to onboard, develop, and engage their employees through popular chat apps such as Whatsapp.

This approach leads to 4-5 times higher engagement compared to email or app-based content. Mercu reduces manual processes, improves productivity, and offers insights to minimize employee turnover.

Deskless workforce management has become more difficult due to rising turnover rates and declining engagement post-Covid. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report estimates these issues cost the global economy $7.8 trillion annually.

Mercu co-founder Elliott Gibb emphasizes that current tools fail to accommodate the realities of deskless work, often requiring corporate email addresses or laptops for optimal user experience.

Delivering content via chat apps has proven key to boosting engagement. Mercu co-founder Jascha Zittel recounts his time at Grab, where using Whatsapp and Facebook groups yielded higher engagement than in-app or email communications.

Employers can send custom content or use templates for campaigns, segment employees into groups, and access analytics for insights and recommendations. Rule-based automation and scheduling features streamline processes and improve productivity.

The seed funding will be used to expand the Singapore-based startup’s presence in the United States, hire key team members, and develop the platform. Mercu, launched in November 2022, aims to boost workforce productivity and retention by automating communication, development, and engagement at scale through chat apps deskless workers already use, such as Whatsapp or iMessage.