B2B SaaS
Q3 202411.07.2024

Future of work & productivity (Q3 2024)

Picture of Miriam Partington

Miriam Partington

at Sifted

We probably all felt, after the pandemic, that the future of work meant working from the beach. Back then, the physical office looked toast. But while hybrid work persists long after lockdowns, we now know reports of the office’s death were greatly exaggerated.

The pandemic brought chaos to the office and opportunity to startups with tools promising to enhance employee engagement, collaboration and productivity. Miro and TeamViewer are just two European companies that have pulled in big VC money. But lately, investors are looking at the “future of work” category with a sceptical eye. VC funding for future of work and productivity startups dropped from its peak of $1.15bn in 2022 to $189m in 2023.

It could be because the future of work hype cycle has ended, like quick commerce or e-bikes before it. Or, companies stopped buying new tools: some over-invested in specialised software, drowning their organisations in tools that didn’t boost productivity, research shows. It could also be because it’s time for a new trend to take hold in the sector. Attention has drifted to generative AI, the new focal point in our relentless pursuit of productivity gains. But companies are dilly-dallying when it comes to using AI. Only 39% of GenAI users have received relevant training from their company — and now workers are taking matters into their own hands. They’ve started bringing their own AI tools to work which has even led to a new acronym (BYOAI; bring your own AI).

20 most promising early-stage startups to watch

  • Flowrite logo

    Sifted score

    7.79
    -

    Flowrite

    AI-powered tool for effective communication.

    • Strong investor(s)
    • Serial founder(s)

    • Year founded

      2020

    • HQ

      Helsinki, Finland

    • Latest round

      Seed
      €4m / Nov 2021

    • Total funding

      €4.5m

    View company profile
  • Amie logo

    Sifted score

    7.45
    -

    Amie

    Productivity app for efficient scheduling.

    • Strong investor(s)

    • Year founded

      2020

    • HQ

      Berlin, Germany

    • Latest round

      Seed
      €6.8m / Jun 2022

    • Total funding

      €8.0m

    View company profile
  • 2021.AI logo

    Sifted score

    7.32
    -

    2021.AI

    • Serial founder(s)
    • Hiring

    • Year founded

      2016

    • HQ

      Copenhagen, Denmark

    • Latest round

      Seed
      €1.4m / Aug 2020

    • Total funding

      €10.4m

    View company profile
  • Carv logo

    Sifted score

    7.03
    -

    Carv

    • Strong investor(s)
    • Serial founder(s)
    • Hiring

    • Year founded

      2023

    • HQ

      Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    • Latest round

      Seed
      €9.5m / Jun 2024

    • Total funding

      €9.5m

    View company profile
  • tl;dv logo

    Sifted score

    7.01
    -

    tl;dv

    • Strong investor(s)
    • Serial founder(s)
    • Hiring

    • Year founded

      2021

    • HQ

      Cologne, Deutschland

    • Latest round

      Seed
      €4.3m / Jun 2022

    • Total funding

      €4.6m

    View company profile

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