Humu (software)

Humu
FoundedMay 2017
FoundersLaszlo Bock, Wayne Crosby, Jessie Wisdom
TypeSoftware company
Legal statusSubsidiary
HeadquartersUnited States
ProductsEmployee engagement software
Parent organization
Perceptyx

Humu is a software company that uses machine learning to send "nudges", small recommendations based in nudge theory, to employees at work.[1][2] Since August 2023, it is a subsidiary of Perceptyx.

History

Humu was founded in May 2017 by former Google executives Laszlo Bock,[3] Wayne Crosby, and Jessie Wisdom. Before founding Humu, Laszlo Bock served as Google's original Head of People Operations.[4] Humu exited stealth mode in October 2018 with $40 million in funding.[5]

Humu analyzes company data and employee feedback to identify changes likely to improve employees' happiness, performance, and retention.[6][2] The platform then delivers "nudges", short messages urging users to change their behavior.[7]

The company holds a trademark on "Nudge Engine", based on the behavioral economics concept of nudge theory from Nobel Prize-winning economist Richard Thaler and popularized in Thaler's 2008 book Nudge, co-authored with legal scholar Cass R. Sunstein. The book argues that small cues can help people make better choices.[1]

Notable customers include Fidelity Investments, Silicon Valley Bank, Lumen, Farfetch,[7] and American fast casual restaurant chain Sweetgreen.[4]

A 2019 trademark dispute between Humu and American video streaming service Hulu[8] was settled in federal court.[9]

On June 24, 2021, Humu announced Humu Business Edition, a personal coach for mid-sized businesses.[10]

In August 2023, Humu was acquired by Perceptyx.[11][12]

Funding

In May 2019, Humu announced it had raised $40 million in series A and B funding led by Index Ventures and IVP.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Can the Occasional 'Nudge' Make You Better at Your Job?". Yale Insights. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  2. ^ a b Winkler, Elizabeth (2020-01-31). "Laszlo Bock Thinks Machine Learning Can Make Work Better". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  3. ^ Dawn Kawamoto (2024-09-05). "Former Google CHRO describes what makes a strong HR executive". HR Executive. Retrieved 2026-01-28.
  4. ^ a b Wakabayashi, Daisuke (2018-12-31). "Firm Led by Google Veterans Uses A.I. to 'Nudge' Workers Toward Happiness". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  5. ^ Stolzoff, Simone (8 October 2018). "After two years in stealth mode, the former head of HR at Google reveals his new startup". Quartz. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  6. ^ "Analysis | Google's former head of HR wants to help people act more human at work". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  7. ^ a b Shellenbarger, Sue (2019-04-15). "The Robots That Manage the Managers". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  8. ^ "Humu v. Hulu: Trademark to-do leads to new lawsuit". The Mercury News. 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  9. ^ "Hulu Says Something Smells Fishy About HR Startup Humu's Name". The Recorder. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  10. ^ "Humu Launches Business Edition, Making Effective Teamwork a Habit For Mid-Sized Businesses". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  11. ^ "Perceptyx Acquires Behavioral Science Pioneer Humu". blog.perceptyx.com. 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  12. ^ Lucas, Emmy. "Former Google Exec's Startup Humu Acquired By HR Platform Perceptyx". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  13. ^ "Laszlo Bock's new HR startup: machine learning, science and a 'little bit of love'". The Mercury News. 2018-05-01. Retrieved 2021-10-18.


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