Sense raises $10 million to improve communication with independent contractors

Sense, which helps staffing agencies create a better work experience for independent contractors, today announced funding of $10 million. Investors include Accel, GV, and Khosla Ventures.

“Lots of technology has been introduced both to source workers and to manage traditional salaried or full-time employees once they’re hired,” wrote Sense cofounder and CEO Anil Dharni, in an email to VentureBeat. “But there’s been much less technological innovation when it comes to addressing the needs of independent workers throughout their work cycles. We’re filling that gap and, we hope, making the ‘gig economy’ work better.”

The San Francisco-based startup provides software as a service (SaaS) to automate communication throughout the freelance worker’s job cycle. Agencies can send personalized messages via text or email to welcome new employees, check in on the first day and after, solicit feedback, and surface new opportunities when a job ends. Analytics also aggregate feedback and provide insight into engagement levels.

“Independent workers are a huge and growing part of the American and global workforces,” wrote Dharni. “In the U.S., 35 percent of all workers are now contractors, and that percent may grow to 40 percent and over by 2020.”

Sense charges a subscription fee based on the number of active contractors a staffing company has. Dharni says the company has more than 60 customers, which include Vaco, PrideStaff, and CDI. The chief executive adds that Vaco uses Sense to engage with the contract workers it places in jobs at Facebook and Netflix, for example.

Sense is currently facing competition from HR management platforms like Workday and Culture Amp.

Today’s funding combines Sense’s seed and Series A round. GV, Khosla Ventures, Signia Ventures, and IDG Ventures participated in the seed round, and Accel led the Series A. The new capital will be used to further develop the service and hire more people.

Founded in 2016, Sense currently has 15 employees.