HR software provider Ciphr has acquired a stake in MyTeamBuilder, a UK-based startup focused on AI-driven coaching for businesses, expanding its portfolio of HR technology solutions.
Strategic investment
The partnership sees Ciphr deepen its investment in artificial intelligence, following several acquisitions in recent years. Ciphr currently supplies integrated HR, payroll, benefits, eLearning, and recruitment services to over 1,400 organisations globally. With this move, customers will gain access to MyTeamBuilder's AI coaching capabilities.
Founded in 2023, MyTeamBuilder offers an AI-based coaching platform designed for employees at every level, not just for executives. The platform's roots in psychological research support businesses aiming to enhance team cohesion, improve engagement, and retain talent by fostering stronger communication and collaboration.
Coaching features
MyTeamBuilder provides employees with a personal AI coach offering data-driven resources and round-the-clock support for professional development. The platform tailors insights, recommendations, and reminders for individual users, maintaining confidentiality throughout the process.
Managers receive access to these personal development tools and additional analytics. The system delivers real-time insights about team members' personality types, motives, and strengths, based on psychometric profiles. Such information, according to the company, can assist managers-especially those newly promoted or with expanding teams-to adapt their leadership approaches and better support team members.
Organisational insight
The use of advanced machine learning allows the system to become more effective with every interaction. As managers and employees engage with their AI advisor, the underlying algorithms refine coaching suggestions for greater relevance and utility. Practical applications cited include managing team dynamics, optimising task allocation, and anticipating workplace challenges such as potential personality conflicts.
The platform also features live mood tracking and topic analysis, giving HR departments access to anonymised, real-time organisational sentiment. Weekly reports offer details on mood shifts, training uptake, and engagement levels, removing the need for traditional surveys. This allows organisations to monitor workforce morale and address issues proactively.
Product roadmap
Ciphr has introduced an AI-powered review summary tool within its HR platform, which analyses historical performance data and generates suggested review responses for both managers and employees. The company said this speeds up review cycles and reduces the bias generated by focusing only on recent performance. Other features under development include AI chatbots for HR administration and universal search functionality for employee self-service, expected to launch in 2026.
Board appointments
As part of the investment, Ciphr's Chief Executive Sion Lewis and Chief Financial Officer Ray Berry have joined the MyTeamBuilder board. The funding will be used to advance MyTeamBuilder's AI and machine learning capabilities and to reach a broader customer base.
"AI - done well - is an enabler. It can help surface invaluable workforce insights that can inform data-driven decision-making and, importantly, help organisations find better ways of working together. And that's at the heart of everything we do at Ciphr - empowering organisations and their people with the tools they need to grow and succeed.
"We all have unique personalities and strengths that we bring to a role. The most successful organisations recognise the importance of leveraging that value - and playing to those strengths. MyTeamBuilder is a fantastic tool. It helps managers to better support their people, drive collaboration, and help them to do their best work.
"This is an exciting investment for Ciphr, and we're looking forward to working with Bill and his team to bring the benefits of their innovative AI-coaching solution to even more organisations," said Sion Lewis, Chief Executive, Ciphr.
"With MyTeamBuilder, we think we have developed something truly groundbreaking. Traditional coaching can be episodic and cost prohibitive. But our AI tool is always there. It's a coach for everyone, that can help people develop in their role and work better together. It helps organisations bring out the best in their people.
"Ciphr is the perfect partner to take this out into the market and the right organisation to help MyTeamBuilder to grow. We're really excited about this opportunity to help organisations change how their employees, managers and teams are supported in the workplace," said Bill McAneny, Founder, MyTeamBuilder.