SparkLabs Global announced today that John Pleasants, the former co-president of Disney Interactive and former COO of Electronic Arts, has joined the fund as an advisor. SparkLabs Global, which focuses on seed-stage startups around the world, also disclosed new investments of $250,000 each in Good.co and Zanbato.
Pleasants joined Disney Interactive after it acquired Playdom Inc., the online gaming company he founded, in July 2010 for $563 million. During his three years at Disney Interactive, Pleasants oversaw the launch of Disney Infinity.
In a statement, Pleasants said: “I’m excited to be part of SparkLabs Global because the depth of their experiences and global reach. The timing for such a seed-stage fund is ideal because of how rapidly innovation and great companies are being founded throughout the world, and many are looking for help to cross the Pacific and Atlantic which this team excels at.”
Based in San Francisco, Good.co is a career site that wants to help put the “human” back in human resources. The startup has raised $1.45 million from Norwest, Sparklabs Global, and other venture capital firms. Good.co users fill out a variety of surveys to help determine what their working style is, and whether or not they are a good fit with specific companies or managers.
The site’s goal is to enable job seekers find positions they will flourish at, which in turn helps employers save the hassle and expense of hiring people who end up leaving or getting fired within a few months. Good.co fits into the same niche as startups like 15five and Culture Amp, in that they all seek to increase employee retention rates boosting workplace morale.
Zanbato is a platform that helps institutional investors find opportunities in alternative asset classes. The company’s founders include Joe Lonsdale, the co-founder of Palantir Technologies, Nico Sand, Dan Settel, and Kevin Leung.
via TechCrunch » Startups http://ift.tt/1e3KQxd
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