Keep Company, which has developed programs to retain talent by preventing burnout of working parents, has raised $1.4 million from TEDCO and other investors, including 100KM, Pixel Perfect Ventures, Techstars, Idea Fund Partners and VEST Her Ventures.
“Keep Company’s commitment to uplifting working parents and caregivers inherently supports the growth and development of a more diverse, inclusive and accountable ecosystem in Maryland,” said Jean-Luc Park, senior director of TEDCO’s Social Impact Funds.
‘Loneliness Epidemic’
The current investment in Bethesda, Md.-based Keep was the second by TEDCO, with both coming from its Pre-Seed Builder Fund. Founded in 2022, Keep has so far raised $2 million from investors.
“The loneliness epidemic isn’t going anywhere and we’re encouraged that more companies are addressing the need to care for the substantial majority of the workforce that takes care of someone at home,” said Keep co-founder and CEO Adrienne Prentice, who earned a joint degree in law from the American University Washington College of Law.
Prentice, a former Hewlett Packard executive, says the “culture of Big Law” demanded the creation of a learning platform such as Keep to help parents and caregivers balance life and work, and additionally help employers to manage top talent. She initially founded MotherNation, a peer support community for new moms, but realized it wasn’t enough to solve what she characterized as a “structural” problem. What was needed, Prentice said in a LinkedIn post, was “employers creating environments of belonging that are sustainable for whole people – because employees aren’t robots.”
Lowering Attrition Rates
Keep’s programs focus on an estimated 73% of typical workforces that constitute caregivers. It includes care for the newborn, an older child, a spouse with a serious illness, or an aging parent. It integrates social-emotional learning and behavioral science with expert coaching and curated communities to deliver results. Keep claims its program lead to attrition rates that are five times lower than the industry average.
Commercial Real Estate
MacKenzie Companies
Advertising / Media / Communications / Public Relations
Nevins & Associates
Financial Services / Investment Firms
Chesapeake Corporate Advisors
Commercial Real Estate
Monday Properties
Venture Capital
Blue Delta Capital Partners
Internet / Technology
Foxtrot Media
“At Keep Company, we’re seeing the impact of our solution on individual employees and the firms at large,” said Prentice. “The funds from this round will enable us to serve more people with better technology.”
Together with the funding, Keep also announced the hiring of Zvi Band, a D.C.-area entrepreneur and founder previously of real estate platform Contactually, as chief technology officer. The company also launched three new products, including a Care Census that allows employers to anonymously quantify the number of working parents and caregivers on staff at risk of burnout.
“Keep Company is tapping into a huge market of organizations wanting to provide caregiver support,” said Techstars CEO Maelle Gavet. “Over 7 of 10 employees are parents and caregivers, and Keep Company is primed to reinvent the way companies engage with, support and retain their people.”
