Paraclete, the world’s first SoulCare™ platform for the workforce, closed a $1.5 million pre-seed round to help workers live a thriving life at work, home, and everything in between.
Founded by first-generation immigrant and Marine Corps veteran, Vineet Rajan, and his fellow Stanford GSB grad, William Norvell, the tech-enabled SoulCare™ platform connects employees to on-demand, confidential conversations with experienced professionals who – without judgment – help employees to pause, perceive, process, and ponder in the present moment.
The round included investments from Sovereign’s Capital, Tom Blaisdell, formerly a General Partner at DCM Ventures, and Henry Kaestner, Co-Founder and former CEO at Bandwidth, alongside several members of Potomac Angel Capital, including Paul Farrell and Todd Bramblett, the Co-Founders of Nehemiah Security.
“Following the tragedy of 9/11, I joined the Marines to serve my country. It was there I learned how ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things when they feel valued and accepted for who they really are,” states Vineet Rajan, Co-Founder and CEO of Paraclete. “We hear everyday leaders claim that people are their most valuable asset. If that’s the case, we need to start treating workers as fully human – with thoughts and emotions related to things other than work. While work is an important part of who we are, it’s not all of who we are.”
Paraclete aims to get SoulCare™ into the hands of leaders, so they have a practical way to help their teams bring their full selves to work and maximize their individual potential. Rajan believes this all begins with conversations and human connection.
Company-provided services typically have a usage rate of less than 5%. Paraclete is reimagining this by providing Users with unlimited, on-demand access to their Paraclete Guide and proactively encouraging Users to use the platform. Paraclete enables leaders to finally provide the connection all humans desire and need.
Launched in late 2021, current Users have an average Connection rating of 9 out 10, proving the approachable access to SoulCare™ has struck a chord, particularly for those who may have never considered something like traditional coaching or therapy.
“We intentionally select our Guides to reflect the different experiences, demographics, and backgrounds of our society to ensure a well-matched Guide for every Paraclete User,” states Co-Founder and COO William Norvell. “Every Guide is expertly trained in SoulCare™ and workplace dynamics, so every User has a safe place to pause and process the realities of life.”
With this round of funding, Paraclete plans to scale the technology offering and accelerate hiring.
