The COVID-19 pandemic has not gone away, and neither has it given the economy any clear signs that things are back to normal. But Atlanta-based app Steady doesn’t have a normal business model — even having Shaquille O’Neal as a financial backer is just one reason they’re unique.
Steady is a mobile platform tailored to those who work in the gig economy, connecting prospective side-job workers with contract opportunities that fit their experience levels, availability, interests and geographic locations. We told you in 2018 about their $9M Series A; now they’ve pulled a $15M Series B, led by Recruit Strategic Partners.
Calling itself “a platform solely focused on advising and advocating for workers seeking stable income in America,” it announced the raise on June 16. It caps a busy few months since the coronavirus disrupted the U.S. economy.
Having been downloaded more than 2.7 million times, Steady has guided 2 million members to link their bank accounts to the app, which results in rich data of gig-worker economic trends.
In February they hired Winn Martin, former Kabbage head of data insights, as their chief data officer. In April, investor-slash-ambassador Shaq led their “Steady Together” initiative, which helped identify high-demand jobs, telehealth medical support, and $2 million in emergency cash grants for member workers experiencing income loss.
And just last month Steady announced that free telemedicine subscriptions were available to uninsured or underinsured members until at least August 1.
Sometimes you can do well by doing good. Or maybe Shaq, as one of the hardest working people in America, has that Louisiana-bred golden touch. Either way, Steady doesn’t appear to be on shaky ground in terms of financial commitments.
