With Labs
Helps people connect, play and learn through open-source solutions for online collaboration.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
N/A | Seed | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Founded in 2020, With Labs, Inc. developed a remote working platform aimed at keeping colleagues connected. The company was established by Jason Shen, a three-time startup founder, Y Combinator alumnus, and former product manager at major tech firms like Facebook and Etsy. Shen's background is notably diverse, holding degrees in Biology from Stanford University, where he was also a captain of an NCAA championship-winning gymnastics team. His entrepreneurial journey includes co-founding the YC-backed startup Ridejoy and later Midgame, an AI voice assistant for gamers, which was acquired by Meta. This history of building products that have reached millions informed the creation of With Labs.
The firm was financially backed by venture capital from investors including Betaworks Ventures, Fusion Fund, and Urban Innovation Fund. Its core offering was a business and productivity software platform designed for the remote work environment. The platform facilitated team collaboration through features like team links for spontaneous conversations, structured stand-up meetings, content frames, screen sharing, and file dropping capabilities. The objective was to create a persistent, shared online space where team members could easily initiate one-on-one or small group discussions, mirroring the dynamics of a physical office.
Initially, With Labs pursued two product lines: PopStage, a tool for designing and hosting interactive workshops and courses, and PopSpace, an open-source virtual canvas for collaboration and social interaction. This strategy targeted businesses and teams seeking to improve connection and productivity in a distributed work model. The company operated with a small team headquartered in San Francisco. In March 2023, With Labs was acquired by Glue, marking a significant milestone and a transition from its status as a venture-backed independent entity.
Keywords: Jason Shen, remote work platform, team collaboration software, virtual office, PopStage, PopSpace, Betaworks Ventures, Fusion Fund, Urban Innovation Fund, remote team communication, acquired by Glue, SaaS, business productivity, virtual canvas, interactive workshops, distributed teams, startup acquisition, employee connectivity, online meetings, digital workspace
