Dublin-based Hiri raises $1m in funding as it opens US office

Dublin-based enterprise email firm Hiri has raised $1 million and opened its first US office in San Francisco.

The funding round includes Delta Partners, ACT Venture Capital and Enterprise Ireland.

The company is using the money to help its expansion, following the opening of its first international office.

Hiri has created an email app that is aimed at saving businesses time by separating emails from those that are essential and need action, and those that are “nice to know”, trying to eliminate the distraction of email and improve productivity. The app can be integrated with Microsoft Exchange and Office 365.

The company said two major Global 500 companies are trialling the app.

Hiri has previously raised $600,000 in seed funding, receiving backing from directors of Facebook and LinkedIn.

It’s not surprising Hiri is capturing attention; it quotes a University of Loughborough study that claims employees check email an average 96 times a day, or every five minutes. A further University of Texas study claims it can cost workers up to 2½ hours day to keep up with email. CIARA O’BRIEN