Sharp Performance, a company that provides confidential performance coaching to police officers, firefighters and paramedics, has raised $18 million in a Series A funding round led by Hidden Variable.
The round also included participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Commonweal Ventures, Wolfson Group, FJ Labs and the Ford Foundation. The latest investment brings Sharp Performance’s total funding to $30 million.
The company helps first responders improve their performance, manage stress and navigate important career changes through one-on-one coaching with experienced professionals who understand their work.
Sharp Performance has more than doubled the number of police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) departments using its platform over the past year. More than 110 departments now provide access to its services, and members have booked over 16,000 coaching sessions.
The company has a network of more than 60 coaches, including former police officers, firefighters, paramedics, Navy SEALs and Green Berets. Members are matched with coaches based on their backgrounds and career goals. They can also change coaches if their needs change.
Sharp has developed its own technology to match members with coaches, schedule sessions around shift patterns and provide departments with anonymized reports. Its mobile app also offers guided breathing exercises and physical recovery techniques.
The company’s services are designed to support existing department wellness programs rather than replace medical or clinical care.
Sharp Performance was founded by CEO Ben Curley and former Green Beret Andrew Sakmar. The founders aim to make professional coaching more accessible to first responders, who often face stressful situations throughout their careers but have limited access to personal performance support.
The new funding will help Sharp expand into more departments and states, improve its mobile app and coaching platform, and develop additional products to support the health and performance of first responders.
The company currently works with more than 110 departments across 18 states and plans to expand its reach across the public safety sector.
