New York’s Jolly Raises $16.5M Series A to Scale AI-Driven Workforce Motivation System
Jolly, a New York-based workforce optimization platform, has secured $16.5 million in Series A funding led by former Tesla CFO Zach Kirkhorn, who also joins the board. The platform enables frontline workers to “Earn Points at Work™” by rewarding actions like punctuality or extra shifts with redeemable incentives. Unlike traditional recognition tools, Jolly uses objective data to automate and customize rewards, fostering alignment between company goals and employee motivation. With over 100 clients and 30,000 users, Jolly plans to expand its product offerings and enter new verticals.
NEW YORK, March 26, 2025 — Jolly, a workforce optimization platform, today announced a $16.5M Series A fundraise which was led by Zach Kirkhorn, former CFO of Tesla. In addition to Kirkhorn, who will join the company’s Board, the round included participation from angel investors Gokul Rajaram, Julien Codorniou, Steve Luczo, and David Marcus, and institutional support from Bullpen Capital, Dorm Room Fund, Eigen Ventures, among others. These funds will be used to expand Jolly’s product suite and scale into new verticals.
Historically, companies have struggled to align the motivation of frontline employees with the interests of business executives in a way that benefits both the employee and employer. With deskless employee satisfaction at an all-time low and advanced technology threatening disruption, it is more important than ever for executives to align employee interests with company goals.
Similar to earning Miles on airlines or Cashback on a credit card, Jolly gives employees an opportunity to Earn Points at Work™. The platform incentivizes actions that are value-accretive to the business such as picking up extra shifts or showing up on time. Incentives are fully customizable while points are dispatched autonomously based on objective work data. Ultimately, the points can be used on gift cards or other high-value items.
“Frontline workers are the backbone of our economy — they are the folks paving roads early in the morning, cleaning dishes late at night, or delivering packages over holidays. These workers should be celebrated,” said Dean Zimberg, Founder and CEO of Jolly. “Employers want to reward actions that improve business outcomes. We’re proud to be the platform that gives the frontline a deserved piece of the bottom line.”
Prior to founding the company, Zimberg spent time as a data scientist and investor where he experienced first-hand the difficulty of recognizing and retaining a frontline workforce. Traditional employee recognition platforms rely on qualitative manager assessment, rewarding work visible by a manager. Jolly, however, relies on data-driven assessment resulting in recognition for work regardless of visibility or subjective opinions.
“Business leaders are under immense pressure to improve financial performance, but it’s also critical to ensure employees see a direct benefit from their hard work,” said Zach Kirkhorn, Board Member at Jolly. “Jolly has created a unique platform that ensures employees and companies can benefit together. The best businesses are those in which everyone wins, and I look forward to supporting the Jolly team on this important work.”
Jolly is already working with over 100 frontline employers across the United States and has over 30,000 essential workers using the platform.
“We saw a 30% improvement in on-time documentation among our nursing staff after the first four months of using Jolly. The platform enabled quicker billing and better cash flow for our business,” said Fred Johnson, President and CEO of Team Select Home Care. “Jolly has been a win-win for Team Select, improving our revenue operations and boosting employee satisfaction.”
About Jolly
Jolly Labs, Inc. (“Jolly”) is a workforce optimization platform that enables employees to earn points for value-accretive actions at work. The platform leverages gamification to create a win-win for employees and employers, driving improvements across productivity, compliance, referrals and loyalty. The company was founded by Dean Zimberg in 2022 and is headquartered in New York City.
