WalkMe raises $1M for user guidance system

The Tel Aviv-based company gets backing from Mangrove Capital Partners

A week after the launch of its unique user guidance system, Tel Aviv-based startup WalkMe announced Thursday that it has raised $1 million in a round of funding from Mangrove Capital Partners.  

“In just a few days since our launch, we have attracted more than 1,000 registered users," said CEO Dan Adiko.  "We anticipate rapid growth as various market segments see the intense value in a tool that gives web self-tasking a new beginning.”

Launched April 2, WalkMe's user guidance system is designed to make websites easier to navigate so that users can access the sites with less frustration and businesses can cut down on the number of support calls they receive.

The service works by following a user's activity and guiding them on to the next step.  For example, the user enters her screen name, and a balloon tip will pop up telling the user to enter her password next.  It seems silly, but think of how many times you've tried to download a program or set up an account on a website and you've had to resubmit pages because you forgot to add your maternal grandmother's date-of-birth, or your childhood dog's zodiac sign.

The tip bubbles--called Walk-Thru's--are layered on top of the Web page, so users don't have to download any add-ons or players, and they're "interface aware," which means they can self-adjust with dynamically changing Web pages.

“We invested in WalkMe’s technology after seeing the benefits that their initial implementations already deliver to our portfolio companies," said Mangrove Capital partner and former Skype COO Michael Jackson.  "Every site, from the most optimized to the most complex, can benefit from their products.  Reducing help desk cost and having more people successfully complete their task helps everyone.”

The company plans to use the new funds to beef up marketing for its user guidance platform.