Blue collar workforce management platform Smartstaff raises $4.3 million

BENGALURU: Blue-collar workforce management platform Smartstaff, previously Qikwork, has raised $4.3 million as part of new funding from Blume Ventures, Nexus Venture Partners and Arkam Ventures.

The round also saw participation from Gemba Capital along with some angel investors.

The funds raised will be used for enhancing product offering and building the team, the company said.

The year-old startup helps businesses hire and manage their blue collar workforce through digital-led workforce management practices. Smartstaff provides a mobile-based, workforce management and staffing solution, helping the manufacturing industry upgrade from legacy processes. The startup’s platform also helps in improving workers’ visibility into payouts, statutory contributions and their timesheets.

The company was founded by co-founder and former employees of hyperlocal logistics player, Runnr, including Arpit Dave, Viral Chhajer, Gnanesh Chilukuri and Aravind Reddy. Runnr was acquired by foodtech major Zomato in 2017.

“With more and more industrial workers getting access to smartphones, we see a huge potential in using technology to reimagine workplace processes, and unlock massive value for companies and workers alike,” said Arpit Dave, co-founder and chief executive officer, Smartstaff.

Smartstaff looks to enable 100 million blue collar workers in India, helping them get access to better work opportunities.

"Indian manufacturing is silently powered by tens of thousands of SMBs and their workforces. And yet, the ability to enhance that labor discovery, employment, productivity and transparency - is alarmingly low. The Smartstaff team is all set to change that. Their solution has already wowed some of the smaller and largest employers in the space. We will soon see the core of Indian manufacturing be powered by Smartstaff,” said Karthik Reddy, managing partner, Blume Ventures.

Currently, over 30,000 man hours of work are tracked everyday on the Smartstaff platform with clients including Raymonds, Enamor, Dixcy, among others,the company said.

The startup expects to have over 10,000 workers on its platform by the end of the year.

“We at Nexus are very excited to partner again with Runnr’s founding team to re-imagine blue-collar recruitment and staffing for over 100 million workers in the country. Via their new-age work-force management platform, SmartStaff aims to drive game-changing efficiencies in the way manufacturing and supply chain companies source, retain, upskill, pay and incentivise their staff,” said Sameer Brij Verma, managing director, Nexus Venture Partners.

Blume Ventures and Nexus Venture Partners were also early backers of Runnr.