Findo

Yva.ai emerged as a specialized platform in the employee experience sector, co-founded by serial entrepreneurs David Yang and Gary Fowler. The company, which began as Findo Inc. in 2016 before rebranding, was a spin-off from ABBYY, the prominent AI-focused software company also founded by Yang. David Yang, a Ph.D. and a prolific entrepreneur with thirteen companies to his name, brought deep technical expertise in AI and content intelligence from his extensive work at ABBYY. His partner, Gary Fowler, contributed a strong background in global sales, marketing, and operational leadership, having been involved in numerous startups and a successful IPO. The initial concept, Findo, was an AI-powered search assistant for personal and corporate files. However, observing that users most frequently searched for tasks, the founders pivoted to create Yva.ai, focusing on a more pressing business need.

The firm developed an AI-driven platform designed to enhance organizational health by analyzing employee experience. Yva.ai's business model centered on providing a subscription-based service to enterprises, operating as a corporate health tracker. The platform's methodology involved a dual approach to data collection, combining passive analysis of anonymized corporate collaboration tools—like Office 365, Teams, and Slack—with active data from weekly, personalized micro-surveys. This blend allowed the system to deliver real-time, actionable insights to managers, HR departments, and executives. Key features included predicting employee resignations with high accuracy, identifying potential burnout risks, and pinpointing informal leaders and toxic managerial behavior within an organization. The ultimate goal was to improve employee well-being and performance, thereby reducing costly attrition and boosting productivity.

In a significant milestone, the assets of Yva.ai, including its technology and a majority of its engineering and data science team, were acquired by Visier, a leader in the people analytics field, in May 2022. The acquisition was a strategic move for Visier to integrate Yva.ai's collaboration analytics into its broader 'People Cloud' platform, aiming to provide a more comprehensive understanding of workforce dynamics. This event marked a successful exit for the founders and investors, validating the platform's advanced approach to using AI for human resources challenges.

Keywords: employee experience, people analytics, collaboration analytics, HR technology, employee retention, burnout prediction, AI-driven HR, workforce analytics, David Yang, Gary Fowler, Visier acquisition, employee wellbeing, organizational health, talent management, passive data analysis, employee surveys, sentiment analysis, leadership identification, corporate health tracker, performance management, Findo, ABBYY spin-off