Lighthouse.io, an Australian startup aimed at modernising the way cleaning and security services are delivered, has closed $1.25 million in funding led by Tamarisc, an early stage venture capital firm.
Lighthouse.io launched in late 2015 to disrupt labor intensive industries through the delivery of an intelligent location-aware mobile platform.
Companies using Lighthouse.io equip their workers with a mobile app that leverages location technologies such as Bluetooth beacons to deliver contextual information based on their exact position. This includes task lists, instructions, safety content and alerts for service workers in facilities such as shopping malls, airports, hospitals and stadiums.
The platform provides executives with real-time and historical data about their workforce that enables better decision making around labor management. The end result is more efficient service delivery, improved worker safety and reduced operational costs.
What exactly is Lighthouse looking to achieve?
“We see a huge opportunity to disrupt labor based industries that are primarily using extremely inefficient, manual and paper based processes,” said Patrick Carne, Lighthouse.io CEO. “From a usability perspective, existing enterprise software platforms have set the bar low. We intend to not only become the system of record for workers in these industries, but to create experiences that delight workers.,” he continued.
While there are a number of mobile workforce management platforms out there, Lighthouse.io differentiates by using intelligent inputs from IoT sensors and software integrations to understand a worker’s current context and then deliver a highly relevant workflow that helps them be more effective at their job.
“We’ve looked at a plethora of location-based technologies that all seemed to be a solution in search of a problem. Lighthouse is different in that it was built from the ground up to address key industry pain points and solve real problems,” recalls David Bates from Tamarisc who is joining the board on behalf of the investors.
“This became increasingly apparent the more we spoke with current and potential customers, some from our own portfolio, who raved about how the platform significantly reduces costs and liability while clearly increasing operational efficiencies. We are thrilled to join Lighthouse and look forward to helping it grow and continue delivering value to its customers.”
What next for Lighthouse?
Lighthouse.io is already driving operational improvements at shopping malls, airports, train stations and corporate campuses throughout Australia and the US.
The current round of funding will be used to accelerate product development and growth in the US market. It will also facilitate exploration of horizontal markets such as real estate and health care. Joining Tamarisc in the round are Morningside Technology Ventures, a global investor in healthcare, real estate and technology, and Storm Industries Investments.
Future features include a flexible If-This-Then-Than (IFTTT) rules engine that will be able to detect changes from sensors and other web services and then trigger outputs to relevant workers, integration with existing systems such as time and attendance and work order management, and advanced analytics capability.
