Janitorial services are the pillars that upholds a lot of office buildings, schools, and supermarkets by keeping the space clean. Even with the rise of technology, this industry works with outdated systems. To help scale this necessary industry by bringing Silicon Valley software to janitorial services; BrightGo has raised $3 million in seed funding, co-led by Costanoa Ventures and Index Ventures.
As the fifth-largest job industry in the U.S., janitorial services are indispensable. Inefficient scheduling, inspection, and management systems not only affect the services being provided; they also delay payments to workers, put commercial cleaning contracts at risk, and increase overheads. The challenges mean limited transparency, poor communication, and efficiency barriers, all of which prevent businesses from scaling.
“BrightGo is revolutionizing a sector that has been overlooked by tech for decades, but it’s a top five job sector where software can make a huge difference,” said Mark Selcow, Partner at Costanoa Ventures. “The team behind BrightGo has innovated with advanced technology that’s just right for both workers and their employers, and is replacing tools that haven’t evolved with its user base in decades. BrightGo is bringing the janitorial industry into the future.”
With the aim of eradicating these issues, the fresh capital will be used to fast-track product development; with more functionalities set to roll out in 2024. Having launched earlier this year, the company already has customers across the U.S. and Canada that provide janitorial services for national supermarket chains, retail stores, and malls, among other commercial properties.
“Before, every day at 5 p.m., I was waiting for more unhappy calls from property managers,” says Michael Anastasi, Chief Operating Officer of Cleantech Services Group, a business running since 1996 that cleans over 400 locations in British Columbia. “Now with BrightGo, I can check before I have dinner and know that our clients in the evening will all be taken care of. We’re not going to get any calls that day that our employee didn’t show up. It’s very easy now to see we’re doing a good job with all our clients.”
About BrightGo
Launched in 2023, BrightGo is led by Gerald Fong and Saagar Deshpande, Meta and Asana engineering veterans. To better understand the unique needs and expectations of the janitorial industry; prior to launch, the duo partnered with prospective customers to work in the field. They embed themselves in every aspect of the business, from cleaner to manager.
“The janitorial industry has been underserved by the tech industry for more than 30 years, yet it employs millions of workers across the U.S.,” explains Gerald. “The janitorial tools currently available are hard to use and are often either cumbersome and clunky or don’t talk to each other well. At BrightGo, we are building the first janitorial platform that is both comprehensive and incredibly easy to use for both the cleaner and the owner. It sounds simple, but in reality, nothing has delivered on that to date.”
Helping an industry that employs approximately 2.5 million people in the U.S.; BrightGo brings in an intuitive interface and mobile app integration. It allows companies to easily manage large employee groups across multiple remote locations. Business owners have access to a centralised dashboard to manage scheduling, attendance tracking for payroll, inspection systems, and an in-app employee communication portal. Currently, employees can use the smartphone app to clock in and out, confirm their schedules, and communicate with management.
“Gerald and Saagar embody vertical software founders that we seek to back. They combine their experience building high quality software with a deep desire to understand their customers and their operations and how software can improve things,” said Damir Becirovic, Partner at Index Ventures. “They have purposefully navigated to commercial cleaning, a very large industry that comprises three million workers in the U.S. and one that has been underserved with technology for decades. Their early customers are welcoming them with open arms and the team has already delivered software that is now making a difference daily.”
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