Pryze to Hire New Talent and Expand App Capabilities with Grant

June 12, 2024 | By Sarah Van Velsor

Arlington Economic Development announced the latest recipients of Catalyst Grants from the Arlington Innovation Fund (AIF). After a thorough review process, four Arlington-based startups have been awarded a total of $175,000 in grants. These companies have shown exceptional promise in innovation and potential for significant impact in their respective fields. 

Pryze, an HR tech company, aims to increase productivity and retention among deskless workers. Their app incentivizes phone-free time and positive actions at work through automation and gamification. We spoke with Co-Founder Natalia Micheletti to find out more about how the Catalyst Grant will benefit Pryze.

Tell us about your company and how it will innovate your respective industry?
Natalia: Pryze increases productivity, retention and profits in companies with deskless workers by incentivizing phone-free time and other positive actions with rewards. Right now, the companies who employ the over 2.7 billion deskless and hourly workers (think restaurant staff, housekeepers at a hotel, nurses or warehouse employees), have no good way to enhance performance, retain employees, keep them happy and focused at work, or track, scale and replicate any of this. And in addition to the companies' struggles, these hourly employees have the least benefits, training, communications, tech and culture at work, so they tend to spend the most amount of time on their personal cell phones. We understand the unique challenges of managing an hourly workforce and have built a tool that addresses those needs head-on. By making it simple to recognize and reward employees, Pryze helps businesses keep their best people performing at the highest levels every day. Big names like McDonald's, Amazon, Subway and Krispy Kreme are already seeing the benefits, proving that Pryze is setting a new standard for employee engagement and loyalty.

Pryze is innovating the future of work for the hourly workforce by providing an all-in-one platform tailored specifically to hourly employees. In an industry where traditional tools fail to address the unique challenges faced by businesses with an hourly workforce, Pryze stands out by offering a seamless solution that integrates real-time productivity tracking, performance-based rewards and recognition with gamification. This not only boosts employee engagement and productivity but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement and motivation with a healthy work-life balance. Our platform empowers businesses to optimize their workforce management, ensuring that employees are recognized and rewarded, leading to higher retention rates and overall operational excellence. With industry giants adopting the platform and rapid growth, Pryze is set to become the standard for innovative workforce solutions in the modern business landscape. Whether it’s tracking performance in real-time, rewarding good behavior or making communication super easy, Pryze does it all. This means happier, more motivated employees and a much smoother operation overall.

How will grant funding from the Arlington Innovation Fund impact your growth plans?

Natalia: Grant funding from the Arlington Innovation Fund will be a game-changer for Pryze. With this support, we can accelerate our growth plans and expand our platform's capabilities even further. The funding will allow us to enhance our technology, adding more advanced features to better serve our clients' needs and improve user experience. Additionally, we can scale our marketing efforts to reach more businesses, increasing our footprint in key markets.

Moreover, the grant will enable us to invest in a top-notch team, bringing in more talent to innovate and refine our solutions. This boost will not only help us maintain our competitive edge but also drive rapid adoption of our platform. Ultimately, the Arlington Innovation Fund’s support will empower Pryze to transform employee engagement and loyalty on a much larger scale, benefiting more businesses and their employees.

How long has your company been in Arlington and what made you choose Arlington as a place to do business?

Natalia: Choosing Arlington as our base for Pryze was an easy decision!  Arlington offers a vibrant business ecosystem with a strong focus on innovation and technology. The proximity to major cities and access to a diverse, highly skilled talent pool makes it an ideal location for a tech-driven company like ours while still staying true to our beliefs in diversity and inclusion.

Furthermore, Arlington’s support for startups and small businesses through initiatives like the Arlington Innovation Fund shows a clear commitment to fostering growth and innovation. This supportive environment, combined with excellent infrastructure and a collaborative community, makes Arlington the perfect place for Pryze to thrive and expand.

Arlington also awarded grant funding to three other Arlington startups: KnoNap, Data Parrot and SportAI.

For more information about the Arlington Innovation Fund and/or to stay apprised of potential funding opportunities in the future, please visit www.arlingtoneconomicdevelopment.com/aif.