This article was originally written by Jarrett Dunbar and published on nationwide.com
Columbus, OH (April 20, 2023) -- Companies are constantly looking to hire environmental, health and safety (EHS) and risk management professionals to find ways to make their workplaces safer. But finding a qualified candidate can be difficult. Nationwide Ventures, the venture capital arm of Nationwide, is investing in a company that is making the flexible hiring process easier.
Yellowbird, a leading EHS and Risk Management technology platform, announced the completion of its $5 million seed round funding at an oversubscribed $6.25 million. Nationwide’s portion of the funding comes from its $350M venture capital investment fund.
“According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a death related to work injuries, incidents and accidents every 101 minutes,” said Dale Hoppe, Nationwide’s Vice President of Workers Compensation Programs. “Nationwide is investing in Yellowbird because we feel their technology can connect businesses with professionals who can make the workplace safer and ultimately bring those statistics down.”
The seed funding will help YellowBird continue its growth trajectory, further invest in building technology, and accelerate its customer acquisition and marketplace strategy. YellowBird plans to hire engineering team members to continue developing advanced technology, growing the customer success team to improve client satisfaction, and investing in sales and marketing advancements.
"We are thrilled to have completed this oversubscribed funding with the support of two of the nation's most highly respected impact venture capitalists and two of the largest global insurance brands," said Michael Zalle, Founder and CEO of YellowBird. “This funding will provide resources to continue developing our platform's technology, particularly artificial intelligence, performance tracking and delivery efficiency, as well as introduce upskilling opportunities for our professionals. Our goal is to help EHS and Risk Management Professionals earn more with greater flexibility and create equitable access to work in the process.”
YellowBird has grown exponentially in the past two years, with coverage in all U.S. states and territories and with sourced jobs in 42 states since its inception. The company has achieved 2x year-over-year revenue and supply-side growth two years in a row with Environmental, Health and Safety Professional flex workers. YellowBird’s customer list features Fortune 100 companies and major brands in manufacturing, construction and energy. EHS and Risk Management Professionals on the YellowBird platform have earned nearly $2 million to date.
More information about YellowBird can be found at goyellowbird.com.