Perceptyx Acquires AI-Powered Coaching Platform, Cultivate

(US and Canada) Perceptyx, the leading employee listening and people analytics platform, has acquired Cultivate, a pioneer in AI-powered leadership development. The deal will pair Perceptyx’s leading active listening and feedback platform with Cultivate’s best-in-class passive listening and digital coaching product, creating a powerful solution that closes the gap between signal and action in the employee experience.

Cultivate is a digital leadership platform that leverages AI to scale coaching across the enterprise, enabling stronger workplace relationships and empowering people leaders. Operating strictly on an opt-in basis, Cultivate captures existing behavior data in a leader’s own digital communication channels and delivers hyper-personalized leadership insights and recommendations. For example, leaders can see how often they give recognition or provide feedback, whether they make too many ad-hoc meeting requests, or if they communicate or share opinions equally across their team. Leaders can also improve collaboration and reduce burnout by inviting team members to design their ideal team norms, including their preferred times for meetings, brainstorms, focused work, or wellness breaks, and then Cultivate can measure if the team's behavior is aligning with their preferences. Cultivate’s privacy-by-design approach and focus on employee empowerment ensures no data is analyzed without consent, and no personally identifiable metrics or insights are shared with others in the organization.

“Managing hybrid and remote teams requires innovative technology. Leaders have to be especially attuned to the various working styles of their team members,” said John Borland, CEO of Perceptyx. “Effecting this kind of leadership change can’t be done with a few training sessions: it requires continuous, in-the-moment insight and tailor-made advice. With Cultivate integrated into our platform, our customers will have access to incredibly powerful leadership coaching capabilities with world-class content, but delivered in a highly personalized way.”

Cultivate works with organizations such as SAP, Samsung Next, and PTC to develop people leaders. Managers using the platform report that their self-awareness has grown and the insights have prompted them to adapt their management approach.

“AI coaching helps you develop your leadership capabilities. It’s like having a buddy on your shoulder that watches out for you and gives you helpful hints. The AI makes the unseen seen, and that’s really helpful.” said Joshua Margo, HR Business Partner, SAP Learning.

“AI-powered learning, coupled with meaningful nudges and suggestions, is a real-world solution that works,” said Josh Bersin, Global Industry Analyst and CEO of The Josh Bersin Company. “By adding passive listening and digital coaching to its platform, Perceptyx now offers an end-to-end action platform for employee listening, leader feedback, and performance improvement.”

The Perceptyx people analytics platform enables companies to not only understand how their employees are feeling about their work, but to create more aligned and effective organizations. With the acquisition of Cultivate, Perceptyx will introduce an expanded suite of leadership development solutions. CEO and co-founder of Cultivate, Joseph Freed, will join Perceptyx to oversee its Develop product.

“Perceptyx is dedicated to helping enterprises fully understand — and respond to — the entire employee experience. It was easy for us to see how Cultivate fit into that mission. We’re excited by the opportunity to help Perceptyx customers, including dozens of Fortune 100s, develop their leaders and create healthy, productive teams,” said Joseph Freed, CEO of Cultivate.

Based in San Francisco, CA, Cultivate was founded through an Entrepreneur in Residence program at Samsung NEXT by Joseph Freed, Samir Meghani, and Andy Horng. Lead investors include Trinity Ventures, Silicon Valley Data Capital, and Bloomberg BETA.