PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — namecoach, the tech company solving naming errors and gendered communications in critical environments, has secured an $8 million Series A funding round from Impact America Fund with participation from Authentic Ventures, Metaplanet, Founders Fund, Engage VC, Ai Sprouts Fund I and GTM Fund , 640 Oxford, Transcend Network, Asymmetry Ventures, Forefront Venture Partners, Network.VC, Harbor Street Ventures and Seabed VC. Namecoach’s simple and easy-to-learn audio pronunciation technology supports organizations’ growing need to create a culture of inclusion and belonging. The company has more than 300 customers and partners, including Salesforce and Microsoft, and will release a direct-to-consumer product in 2023.

“We believe that systemic change can be as simple as pronouncing someone’s name correctly,” he said Kaiton Williams, Managing Partner at Impact America Fund. “Names are a threshold of possibility in every area of ​​our lives. When we misunderstand names or avoid them out of fear, those doors are closed to us and others. This is something our investment team knows well. Namecoach’s solution is easy to use, built on a strong technical foundation, and its advancement and market opportunity in a globally connected world are undeniable.”

The need for DEI solutions in the professional environment is growing faster and faster as societal norms change and younger generations who value respect and identity become consumers and decision makers. According to a report by gardener“Mentions of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) on S&P 500 earnings calls are up 658% since 2018.” However, only 18% of employees surveyed globally say they work in an environment with a high level of fair identity. Eighty percent of the 30 million unique names in the world…