Bambee

Bambee is a Los Angeles, California-based human resources company that makes hiring an HR manager affordable for small and medium-sized businesses that have not previously had access to one. Each customer is assigned a dedicated HR manager who is combined with an automated software platform, marketed as putting HR "on autopilot." The service covers regulatory compliance, HR policy, employee relations and HR strategy, including internal investigations, hiring, furloughs and return-to-work procedures.

The company was founded in 2016 by CEO Allan Jones, who previously served as chief marketing officer at ZipRecruiter from 2013 to 2016 and as head of product at Docstoc. Bambee positions its offering around the roughly 5.6 million small businesses in the United States, aiming to help owners who lack in-house employment infrastructure navigate complex employment obligations. Bambee has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies.

Founding story

Allan Jones grew up in Los Angeles in a family of small-business owners and worked in his family's business, observing that small employers lacked infrastructure and were left to solve complex employment problems on their own. After dropping out of Chaffey College, he worked as a quality assurance analyst, then as head of product at Docstoc, launched a men's clothing and styling company that failed, and served as chief marketing officer at ZipRecruiter from 2013 to 2016 before founding Bambee in 2016.

Business model

Subscription-based HR service in which customers pay for an assigned, dedicated HR manager delivered alongside an automated compliance software platform ("HR Autopilot"). The company reported nearly 10,000 active subscribers as of the 2022 Series C announcement.

Traction

Customer base grew fivefold between January and July 2020 as companies sought help with furloughs and PPP loans. The company grew 100% in 2021 and said it was on track to double again in 2022, with nearly 10,000 active subscribers at that time. It has been named to the Inc. 5000 list, and its CEO has stated it moved from rapid growth to profitability.

Latest developments

In 2022 Bambee announced a $30 million Series C led by QED Investors with participation from SoftBank, Alpha Edison, Mucker Capital, Ken Chenault, Damian Maldonado and Gaingels, bringing total funding to $65 million, alongside plans to hire 150 employees and expand in Nashville. In a J.P. Morgan client story, CEO Allan Jones described the company as having become profitable over the previous 12 months.