Excellent.io - Comprehensive Analysis Report
Summary
Excellent.io is a New Zealand-based company established in 2022, operating at the intersection of Human Resources (HR) Technology and Employee Experience (EX). Its core mission is to empower organizations to cultivate people-centered cultures where employees thrive, driving improved business results. Excellent.io aims to lead the global employee experience movement by offering comprehensive learning programs, fostering a vibrant community, and providing accreditation. The company is significant within the industry for providing structured solutions that enable organizations to adopt Employee Experience Design, a discipline focused on intentionally creating impactful workplace environments.
1. Strategic Focus & Objectives
Core Objectives
Excellent.io's strategic focus is on transforming HR functions into strategic drivers of organizational success through human-centered design practices. Key business objectives include:
- Enhancing Employee Engagement: Designing workplaces that actively involve and motivate employees.
- Improving Retention: Creating experiences that foster loyalty and reduce employee turnover.
- Boosting Overall Productivity: Optimizing workplace environments to maximize employee output and efficiency.
- Elevating HR to a Strategic Level: Equipping HR professionals with design thinking skills to become key strategic partners in business growth.
Specialization Areas
The company specializes in Employee Experience (EX) Design, focusing on a human-centered design thinking methodology to develop tailored solutions for unique workplace challenges. Its unique value propositions include:
- EX Design School: Offering the first recognized certification for EX Designers globally.
- Proprietary Methodologies: Leveraging design thinking to create impactful experiences with employee input.
- Thought Leadership: Driving the global EX Manifesto, shaping the definition and practice of employee experience.
- Strategic Advisory Services: Providing personalized support for organizations to embed design-led practices.
Target Markets
Excellent.io targets a broad range of stakeholders committed to improving employee experience, including:
- HR teams and professionals
- People leaders and managers
- Founders and business owners
- C-suite executives
The company operates on both Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Business-to-Consumer (B2B2C) models. Geographically, its primary markets are New Zealand and the United States, with plans for further international expansion.
2. Financial Overview
Funding History
Excellent.io successfully raised a total of $1.21 million (NZ$2 million) in a single Seed funding round on September 8, 2022.
- Key Investors: Notable institutional investors leading this round included Blackbird Ventures, with participation from Icehouse Ventures and K1W1. Additionally, several angel investors contributed, including Sharesies founders Brooke and Leighton Roberts, Phase One Ventures CEO Mahesh Muralidhar, Joyous co-founder Mike Carden, Groov CEO Adam Clark, and Spark NZ chair Justine Smyth.
- Fund Utilization: The capital raised is specifically allocated for expanding the company's team and facilitating its launch into the United States market.
- Impact on Company Growth: This funding round is crucial for scaling operations, increasing headcount, and executing international market entry, positioning Excellent.io for significant growth in the HR tech and employee experience sectors. The company is currently revenue-generating.
3. Product Pipeline
Key Products/Services
Excellent.io's product development pipeline centers on its Employee Experience Design platform, offering several key programs and resources:
- EX Design School:
- Description: An on-demand learning program specifically designed for HR teams and professionals.
- Development Stage: Fully launched and operational.
- Target Market/Condition: HR teams, people leaders, and professionals seeking structured learning and accreditation in EX Design.
- Key Features and Benefits: Comprises 15 self-paced lessons grounded in design thinking, provides over 15 practical tools and EX frameworks, and over 40 masterclass recordings from global leaders. It offers a clear pathway to EX Design certification, establishing it as the first recognized certification for EX Designers.
- Strategic Advisory Services:
- Description: Personalized support for organizations to embed design-led practices within their operations.
- Development Stage: Actively offered to clients.
- Target Market/Condition: Organizations seeking bespoke guidance and support to implement EX Design principles.
- Key Features and Benefits: Includes interactive workshops, one-on-one leadership coaching, custom workshops tailored to organizational needs, and strategic planning support.
- EX for Leaders Program:
- Description: A forthcoming program aimed at offering early access to Excellent.io's global community of EX designers.
- Development Stage: Under development.
- Target Market/Condition: Senior leaders and executives looking to gain insights and connect with the EX design community to drive EX transformation within their organizations.
- Expected Timeline: Early access is anticipated, indicating an upcoming launch.
4. Technology & Innovation
Technology Stack
Excellent.io's proprietary "Employee Experience Design" platform is built upon a human-centered design thinking methodology. This approach is fundamental to its operations, enabling organizations to create impactful experiences by prioritizing employee input.
Proprietary Developments
- EX Manifesto: A significant global project led by co-founder Samantha Gadd, which defines employee experience and has garnered endorsement from leaders in over 30 countries. This serves as a foundational philosophical and practical framework for the company's offerings.
- EX Design School Certification: Excellent.io offers the first recognized certification for EX Designers. This structured learning and accreditation program distinguishes the company as a pioneer in formalizing the discipline of employee experience design.
Scientific Methodologies
The company's methodology empowers HR teams to transcend traditional practices, fostering the development of future-ready skills and elevating HR to a strategic level within organizations. It focuses on skills, process, and talent development within workplace communities.
Technical Capabilities
Excellent.io’s capabilities revolve around delivering comprehensive learning experiences, facilitating community engagement, and offering expert advisory services, all underpinned by its design thinking framework.
5. Leadership & Management
Executive Team
Excellent.io is led by its co-founders, who bring extensive expertise in the human resources and employee experience domains:
- Samantha Gadd (Founder & Co-CEO):
- Professional Background: Recognized as a global leader in Employee Experience (EX) Design with over two decades of experience in the people and culture field. Prior to Excellent.io, she founded Humankind, New Zealand's leading employee experience and HR consultancy.
- Notable Achievements: Driving force behind the global EX Manifesto; co-authored the forthcoming book "Employee Experience Design: How to Co-Create Work Where People and Organizations Thrive" with industry luminaries Mark Levy (Airbnb) and Dean Carter (Patagonia).
- Key Contributions to the Company: Acts as a strategic partner to HR leaders globally, transforming workplaces, and building people-centered cultures that deliver business results.
- Jenny Busing (Co-founder):
- Professional Background: Previously served as the Deputy Chair of Level Up.
- Key Contributions to the Company: Collaborates with Samantha Gadd to combine subject-matter expertise with a strong drive to create a global community of EX designers.
6. Talent and Growth Indicators
Hiring Trends and Workforce
As of 2025, Excellent.io has a total of 135 employees.
Company Growth Trajectory Indicators
The company's successful seed funding round and clear intention to expand into the United States market are strong indicators of a proactive growth trajectory and a commitment to scaling operations and increasing its team size.
Employee sentiment and culture insights
Excellent.io's mission to build people-centered cultures and its focus on developing the EX talent pool suggest a strong internal culture that values professional development and employee well-being, though specific internal sentiment data is not public.
Company size and expansion metrics
The current employee count of 135, combined with strategic international expansion plans, underscores a company actively growing its footprint and capabilities in the global EX market.
7. Social Media Presence and Engagement
Digital Footprint
Excellent.io maintains a professional digital footprint, primarily through:
- LinkedIn: The company actively leverages LinkedIn for professional engagement, thought leadership, and encouraging connections with its co-founder, Samantha Gadd.
- The Excellent Experience Blog & News: This platform serves as a key resource for publishing strategies, best practices, and insights in employee experience design.
Brand Messaging and Positioning
Brand messaging consistently revolves around the strategic importance of Employee Experience (EX), advocacy for design thinking in HR, and promoting people-centered cultures as a driver for business results.
Community Engagement Strategies
Excellent.io aims to build a global community of EX designers, fostering engagement through its learning programs and professional networks, advocating for a collaborative approach to shaping the future of work.
8. Competitive Analysis
Major Competitors
Excellent.io operates within the competitive landscape of HR technology, specifically in the employee experience and engagement platform market. Key competitors include:
- Employee Engagement Software & Recognition Platforms:
- Deel: Focuses on global payroll and compliance, related to the broader employee experience.
- Vantage Circle: Specializes in employee recognition and engagement solutions.
- Nectar: Offers employee recognition and rewards platforms.
- Bonusly: Provides peer-to-peer recognition and rewards.
- Jotform: A versatile online form builder that can be used for employee surveys, related to feedback collection.
- Learning and Talent Development Platforms:
- Pluralsight: Focuses on tech workforce development.
- Go1: Offers a large content library for corporate learning.
- CoachHub: Provides digital coaching for employee development.
- Employee Analytics and Culture Platforms:
- Culture Amp: A prominent platform for employee feedback, analytics, and performance management.
- Comprehensive Employee Experience Management Platforms:
- Oracle: Offers a vast suite of HR and enterprise software, including employee experience management.
- Qualtrics: A leader in experience management, offering extensive solutions for employee feedback and insights.
9. Market Analysis
Market Overview
The global Employee Experience (EX) Management Platform market is undergoing significant growth.
- Total Addressable Market Size: The market was valued at approximately USD 36.18 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach around USD 92.20 billion by 2032, indicating a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of roughly 9.80% between 2024 and 2032. Other analyses place the 2023 market size between USD 6.1 billion and USD 6.6 billion, with projections between USD 11.71 billion and USD 15.5 billion by 2030-2032, exhibiting CAGRs between 6.5% and 9.99%.
- Regional Dominance: North America held the largest market share in 2023, accounting for 34% to 35% of the total revenue.
- Growth Drivers: The market is primarily driven by an increasing emphasis on enhancing employee satisfaction, reducing attrition rates, and boosting overall productivity within organizations. The widespread adoption of remote and hybrid work models post-pandemic has further escalated the demand for digital solutions that effectively manage employee engagement and performance.
- Segment Dominance: Large enterprises constitute the dominant segment in this market.
- Future Trends: The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into customer success platforms, a related field, is improving efficiency and effectiveness and is expected to further fuel market growth.
10. Strategic Partnerships
Excellent.io has strategically aligned with prominent investors and collaborate with a diverse client base.
- Investment Partnerships: Its seed funding round included significant investments from venture capital firms such as Blackbird Ventures, Icehouse Ventures, and K1W1. Angel investors who are founders and leaders in various industries, including Sharesies founders, Phase One Ventures CEO, Joyous co-founder, Groov CEO, and Spark NZ chair, also supported the company.
- Client Collaborations: Excellent.io serves and collaborates with clients across multiple sectors, including notable organizations such as Uber, Patagonia, Dentsu, Icehouse, Sharesies NZ, Deloitte, Cigna Health Care, Spark
