Guider has raised £2.4 million to help businesses to build, run and scale corporate mentoring programmes.
Headquartered in London with bases in Manchester and Poznan, Poland, Guider is already working with several dozen global brands, including EY, Deloitte, M&S and LVMH. It has more than 100,000 users across 95 different countries.
The seed investment from Fuel Ventures will expand its international operations after securing several US clients last year.
Guider says the so-called ‘great resignation’ is affecting businesses, with research suggesting more than three-quarters of 25-33-year-olds are looking for a career change in the next year. It says 94% of employees would remain in a role if there were greater opportunities to ‘learn and grow’.
It uses smart technology to match mentoring relationships and delivers real-time metrics to measure the success of the programmes. It encourages companies to harness their existing talent to build successful learning cultures, utilising mentorship to tackle disengagement.
Guider’s clients also use the platform to support their other employee development programmes, such as coaching, sponsorship, buddying and mental health allies.
“When mentoring is implemented as a long-term commitment it can have a positive impact on individuals and the organisation overall,” said CEO and founder Nick Ross.
“Our partnership with Fuel Ventures means we have the capital to up the ante on the development of our smart platform and serve companies across the globe.
“Already, we’ve seen global brands deliver exceptional results when using our platform to anchor their mentoring schemes and build employee connections.”
Mark Pearson from Fuel Ventures added: “There is no doubt that the world of work is changing and organisations, like Guider, are there to help large businesses with big, disparate teams to build better relationships with and between staff.
“Nick Ross and his team have the vision of creating a platform that makes mentoring more efficient and accessible. We are excited to be part of this journey.”