AI-powered employee alignment platform Dosen has secured $2.3 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed round, signaling growing investor interest in solving the workplace performance crisis. The round was led by Affinity Ventures, with Unshackled Ventures and Fuel Ventures joining as backers.
Originally targeting a smaller raise, Dosen exceeded its goal by 50%, reflecting how urgently businesses are seeking tools to boost employee engagement and reduce quiet quitting—a growing issue in today’s hybrid work era. The new capital will help Dosen expand its team, speed up product development, and deepen its market reach, particularly among larger companies navigating change and transformation.
Tackling a $500 Billion Problem
The funding comes at a critical time. Workplace underperformance is costing companies an estimated $500 billion annually. Meanwhile, the gap between employee expectations and company direction is widening. Data shows that 95% of employees don’t know their organization’s goals, and 85% feel no real purpose in their work. Unsurprisingly, this disconnect has fueled a wave of quiet quitting, with 60% of workers admitting to doing the bare minimum.
As more companies shift to hybrid models—where 65% of employees now work remotely—traditional leadership and training methods are falling short. Dosen aims to change that by introducing a personalized, AI-powered platform that directly aligns employee growth with company strategy.
From Frustration to Innovation: The Founders’ Vision
Dosen was born from the lived experience of three Irish entrepreneurs—Ronan Wall, Victor Burke, and Cian McCarthy—who each saw the damaging effects of misalignment in fast-scaling organizations.
Wall previously co-founded Matchbook.com (acquired in 2014), helped grow Paddy Power from 100 to 5,000 staff as Online COO, and held senior roles at Ticketmaster. Burke launched both Wilde Irish Gin and ICP Digital Media, while McCarthy led ventures including Pina Gold and Base Influence.
Together, the founding team blends deep operational know-how with startup grit. Their shared mission? To build a platform that aligns individual purpose with business objectives using AI—making learning and development a powerful tool for performance, not an afterthought.
How Dosen’s AI Drives Real Alignment
Unlike traditional L&D systems, Dosen doesn’t just deliver training content. Its AI engine connects employee values, skills, and career goals with the company’s broader mission, roles, and structure.
This creates:
- Tailored learning journeys based on each employee’s unique role and aspirations.
- Real-time updates to those journeys as company goals evolve.
- Scientific impact tracking, showing the measurable ROI of learning on business performance.
This smart matching turns workplace learning into an engine of engagement and productivity. Instead of static modules, employees get growth paths that evolve alongside their organization.
A Purpose-Driven Approach for Scalable Growth
As companies grapple with burnout, talent churn, and hybrid work culture, Dosen is emerging as a must-have tool for forward-thinking HR leaders and executives. Early customer feedback shows strong results: higher engagement, better retention, and more aligned teams.
Co-founder Ronan Wall shared, “We’re thrilled by the overwhelming support, which allowed us to raise 50% more than planned. Dosen is built for HR and leadership teams tackling underperformance and losing top talent. This round lets us help even more companies stop the trend of quiet quitting.”
Victor Burke added, “This raise validates our mission: to reinvent workplace learning. By automating personalization at scale, we’re making a deep impact on both people and business outcomes.”
Cian McCarthy echoed that sentiment, saying, “The most exciting part is that Dosen is just getting started. We see huge potential to evolve the platform and drive even more purpose and performance.”
With fresh funding, a strong founding team, and a clear market need, Dosen is on a mission to redefine how companies think about learning, purpose, and performance in the modern workplace.
