Remotion, a startup that aims to bring more human connection to remote work, has raised $13 million in a Series A funding round led by Greylock Partners. The company, founded in 2019, has built a video platform that allows remote workers to see and talk to their colleagues throughout the day, without the need for scheduling meetings or switching apps.

The idea behind Remotion is to recreate the casual and spontaneous interactions that happen in a physical office, such as chatting by the water cooler, asking a quick question, or brainstorming with a teammate. The platform shows a grid of faces on the side of the screen, and users can simply click on anyone to start a video conversation. Users can also set their status, join group rooms, and send emojis and gifs.

Remotion co-founder and CEO Alexander Embiricos said that the company was inspired by his own experience of working remotely as an engineer at Google. He said that he felt isolated and disconnected from his team, and that existing tools like Slack and Zoom were not enough to foster a sense of belonging and collaboration. He said that Remotion is designed to be a “virtual office” that helps remote workers feel more present and engaged with their coworkers.

“We believe that remote work is here to stay, and that it can be a great thing for both employees and employers. But we also recognize that it comes with some challenges, such as loneliness, communication gaps, and lack of alignment. We want to help remote teams overcome these challenges by creating a more human and fun way of working together online,” Embiricos said.

The company said that it has seen strong demand for its product, especially during the pandemic, when many companies had to shift to remote work overnight. Remotion said that it has over 10,000 users across more than 50 countries, and that it works with customers such as Shopify, Webflow, Zapier, and Notion. The company said that it plans to use the new funding to expand its team, improve its product, and grow its user base.

Sarah Guo, partner at Greylock Partners and board member of Remotion, said that she was impressed by the company’s vision and execution. She said that Remotion has the potential to become a “must-have” tool for remote teams, as it offers a unique value proposition of increasing productivity and happiness.

“Remotion is not just another video conferencing app. It’s a new way of working that brings more joy and connection to remote work. We are excited to partner with Alex and his team as they build the future of work,” Guo said.

Remotion is not the only startup that is trying to improve the remote work experience. There are other players in the space, such as Loom, Mmhmm, Around, and Pragli, that offer different ways of communicating and collaborating online. However, Remotion believes that it has a unique edge over its competitors, as it focuses on creating a more natural and immersive video experience that mimics the real world.

“We think that video is the best medium for remote work, as it allows you to see and hear your colleagues, and to convey emotions and nuances that are lost in text. But we also think that most video tools today are too formal and rigid, and that they don’t reflect how people actually interact in person. We want to make video more fun and flexible, and to enable more serendipity and creativity,” Embiricos said.

Remotion is also different from other video platforms in that it is not meant to replace other tools, but rather to complement them. The company said that it integrates with popular apps like Slack, Google Calendar, Asana, and Figma, and that it allows users to easily switch between different modes of communication depending on their needs and preferences.

“We don’t want to force people to use Remotion for everything. We want to give them the option to use the best tool for the job. Sometimes you might want to send a quick message on Slack, sometimes you might want to have a formal meeting on Zoom, and sometimes you might want to have a casual chat on Remotion. We want to make remote work more flexible and enjoyable for everyone,” Embiricos said.