GroundCntrl grabs $1M to get mobile workforces off their butts

Technology enables us to work from anywhere, but it might make it harder to manage from anywhere. GroundCntrl aims to help you keep track of your company and motivate your mobile workforce with a $1.3 million round of funding filed with the SEC.

The filing names Richard Mandeberg, the chief executive and co-founder, as well as Pat McVeigh, who it cites as a director, and David Shen, the president of David Shen Ventures. Shen is likely not the only investor, as the filing states 13 investors in total, though they aren’t identified.

GroundCntrl is a combination of a software as a service and a mobile app that organizes tasks and employee-incentive programs. It’s specifically aimed at companies with a “mobile workforce,” businesses that have workers spread out and not necessarily in an office. An example could be a canvassing business, such as the environmental folks you see on the sidewalks asking for a moment of your time.

The software can set up different tasks that need completing and assigns different achievements to your workers once those tasks are completed. You might get a Foursquare-like “badge” if you upload pictures of your retail store or knock on 100 doors bringing awareness to your cause. These badges then translate into real prizes, if you so choose.

The mobile app helps employees get these tasks done as well. In the case of taking pictures of your retail store, or the pop-up shop your company is hosting for a week, employees can upload photos directly to the app. You can customize other tasks as well.

Once your company starts using GroundCntrl, it will record data on each team and each employee so that upper management can see just how productive each element of its mobile workforce is.

The company was founded in 2010 and was originally called Commondeeds.

Employee using smartphone image via Shutterstock