Innovative leadership coaching startup Peeplcoach has booked a $1.3 million funding round, propelling its global growth plans and co-founder Christine Khor’s vision for equitable and accessible training.
Peeplcoach, a 2023 Smart50 finalist, expands the traditional, one-on-one executive coaching model into a practical online learning platform.
Aspiring leaders can access lessons designed for real-world application, with individual and group coaching available through its digital outlet.
Khor, who founded the company alongside James Chisholm, said its mission is to expand access to quality advice.
“Our vision is that every person that’s [sic] in a leadership role has someone to help them understand the impact that they’re having and how to amplify that impact as quickly as possible,” Khor told SmartCompany.
The six-year-old venture touts inclusivity as one of its selling points, with Khor saying its offering can be tailored to fit the needs of individual companies and leaders.
“The problems that are being solved are different, and his or her experience [as a leader] may be slightly different, and their culture, and baggage, and experiences and habits are different,” she said.
“So we will have a different conversation.
“But the fundamentals of ‘How do I make sure that my standard is clear? How do I make sure that my people have the right skills and talent, and how do I inspire them to release discretionary effort for me?’, I feel are the same.”
Moreover, Khor said Peeplcoach provides a new vision of leadership that goes beyond hardline, top-down control.
“The only people that like the old way of doing things have direct control: the boss to the serfs,” she said.
“Everybody else is like, ‘That is not me. I don’t want to be that at all.’”
The latest funding round saw contributions from Jacinta McDonell, co-founder of the Anytime Fitness gym chain, who called investing in entrepreneurs like Khor a “strategic advantage”.
“Supporting female founders transcends mere equity; it’s a sound business strategy,” McDonell said in a statement.
“Their invaluable perspectives, determination, and resilience are unparalleled.”
Australian Renewable Energy Agency chair Justin Punch, One Ventures director Roger Massey-Greene, and LaunchVic’s Alice Anderson Fund also backed the round, which brings Peeplcoach’s funding to date upwards of $3 million.
The funding will assist Peeplcoach in its domestic and international expansion.
Peeplcoach currently counts 71 corporate clients with several more expected to join in the coming days, Khor said.
Its business has expanded through corporate word-of-mouth, with Khor saying Australian teams have recommended its services to partner Organisations in the US, UK, and continental Europe.
It is now in the process of hiring extra coaches to keep up with the demand.
“We need to ensure that we’ve got all the systems and processes to make sure it’s the same continued, seamless process for all of our participants that are involved,” she said.
“We’ve got a clear strategy of how to service them, and the big wheel is starting to turn.”
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Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
