GE Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of industrial product conglomerate General Electric, has led an $11m funding round for US-based workplace communication software developer Zinc.
Hearst Ventures, the corporate venture capital vehicle for media group Hearst, also participated in the round along with Emergence Capital and CRV, the VC firms that co-led Zinc’s other funding round, which closed at $5m in June 2016.
Zinc has developed a communication platform that can be used to disseminate information across enterprises that rely on deskless workers, in industries like field service, construction, hospitality and health.
The software combines secure broadcast, voice and video messaging with file and location sharing in a single platform. Another General Electric subsidiary, GE Digital, intends to use Zinc to streamline communication for about 100,000 deskless workers used across the company.
Lisa Coca, managing director of GE Ventures, said: “There is a massive opportunity for companies delivering technology purpose-built for people working away from the teams, systems and knowledge that can help them do their jobs better..
“Zinc’s platform can completely transform how these companies communicate. This strategic investment will help Zinc grow and continue to build essential technology for a market that is hungry for it.”