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Nurau, an AI software firm based in Montreal, has secured $1.5 million CAD seed round to further develop its platform helping managers navigate sensitive workplace conversations. In the round, it got $750,000 invested by Investissement Québec as well as angel investor Sylvain Authier and National Bank’s venture capital arm, ACET Capital. The company plans to generate an additional $700,000 more, which will sum up the funding to $2.2 million within six months. The company plans to extend the user base, improve its technology and also tap into new markets especially in the United States using the funds.
It has developed eCoach as an AI tool, a natural language processing-based application meant for support managers in handling sensitive workplace conversations. The platform provides step-by-step coaching, offering managers useful phrases, guiding them on how to approach sensitive topics, and predicting potential responses from employees. By doing so, Nurau aims to help organizations prevent conflicts from escalating, improving employee engagement, and reducing turnover rates. The company targets industries with high employee turnover, where managers often struggle with managing complex interpersonal issues.
Nurau was co-founded by Justin Lessard-Wajcer (CEO), Sonia Israel (CTO), and Saba Saremi (COO). The latest funding round brings the total funds raised by the company to $2 million CAD, including a smaller friends-and-family round in 2022. Nurau plans to use this investment to expand its operations in the US and increase its customer base in the retail and manufacturing sectors.
The core value proposition of the Nurau platform is its ability to reduce the need for HR interventions through real-time coaching to managers. eCoach seeks to prevent incidents in the workplace from becoming issues for HR by equipping managers with the tools and insights necessary to address problems before they become serious. It is designed to support, rather than replace, HR teams. It further underlines that the platform is not to automate the process of HR but to enhance it by offering real-time, data-driven advice on handling sensitive issues with employees to managers.
Lessard-Wajcer explained that the AI system is not a replacement for professional mental health services and should not be used to directly manage at-risk cases. It is a guidance system, helping managers handle non-crisis cases and implement consistent, impartial advice based on company policy. Safety features on the platform flag inappropriate or harmful suggestions and escalate emergencies to appropriate resources.
The eCoach platform by Nurau, which focuses on HR capability enhancement, has already proven promising, with some retail clients saving up to four hours a week in employee conflict management time. Among its clients are Canadian retailers Ardene and Bikini Village, as well as major financial institutions like the Royal Bank of Canada.
In an age where data security and privacy have become a concern, and even more so in HR scenarios, Nurau ensures all information shared within its framework is anonymized and processed. The company has taken necessary measures to ensure that its employees’ sensitive data, an issue that has become even more crucial since data breaches of Canadian companies have increased, remain secure. The platform also collects anonymized data to improve its algorithms and overall functionality, ensuring that it continues to provide effective coaching and support.
Nurau’s AI-based coaching solution falls in a bigger line of the trends in the space of managing the workplace, where AI is now applied in HR tools to help enhance the performances of teams, experiences for employees, and efficiency of several operational matters. Examples of companies, including one from Toronto, such as Hypercontext, use AI in helping to automate the process of performance reviews among employees while other Canadian firms like GPHY and Trustii incorporate AI to their office management and risk management platforms.
The eCoach technology is customized for every client organization to include that company’s internal policies and procedures. This will mean that the AI model used by the company is compatible with the culture and management of that company. According to Nurau, the personalization also means that errors and inaccuracies commonly associated with AI, including “hallucinations” (when AI creates false or irrelevant information), are reduced. The company trains its AI models using scientific data and leadership coaching content, thus ensuring advice is research-based and therefore proven best practices for managers.
With the funding secured, Nurau is ready to further expand its product offerings and bring AI-driven support to more businesses seeking to improve their internal communications and employee relations. With a focus on preventing HR escalations and enhancing the manager-employee dynamic, the eCoach platform from Nurau has the potential to transform the way organizations approach sensitive workplace conversations, leading to higher employee satisfaction and reducing costly turnover.
