Company:Glorify

From HandWiki
Glorify
TypeGlorify
Founded2020
FounderEd Beccle, Henry Costa
HeadquartersLondon, U.K.
Area served
Worldwide
ServicesChristian prayer, daily devotionals, meditation, kids' stories, worship music
Number of employees
60
Websitehttps://glorify.com

Glorify is a Christian well-being app [1][2][3] that offers devotionals, bible quotes, meditations, worship music, prayers, and kid’s stories.[4] The company is based in London, U.K..[5][6]

Background

Glorify was conceived by co-founders Ed Beccle and Henry Costa. This was their second startup together,[4] and they had angel investors from their previous project. Early investors included Kris Jenner, James Corden, Corey Gamble, Michael Ovitz, and Michael Bublé, and venture capital firms Andreesen Horowitz, and SoftBank Latin America Fund.[7] The company was launched in 2020, and raised a total of USD $84.6 million[8] in two separate funding rounds.[9][10]

Glorify has been compared to meditation apps Calm and Headspace.[11]  The founders said they "believe that small, regular connections with God help people fight anxiety, sleep better, and [it] supports overall wellbeing.” [12] 

Glorify has been endorsed by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury.[9]

Release

Glorify was launched in the U.K. and the U.S. in January 2020, followed by a release in Brazil.[10]  In Spring 2022, Glorify launched in Spanish-speaking Latin America.[7]

In 2022, Glorify supported mental health awareness month (May) by launching Thought for the Day – a series focusing specifically on the crossover between therapy and theology. The Thought for the Day recordings are 60-second spots designed to “feed the mind and spirit with positive words of encouragement and insight.”[13][14]

User experience

Users register a free account and are initially met with an inspiring quote and a curated worship routine that includes Bible passages, a devotional, and reflection.[12] Glorify’s content is intentionally non-denominational, making it appealing to Christians of all denominations.[4]   Using local teams, Glorify customizes content based on the specific audience in each country.[7]

Forbes called this and similar apps "creepy", noting how they share user data with third parties and have raised concern by Mozilla, due to poor security standards used by this and similar apps. [15]

References

  1. ↑ Bosilkovski, Igor. "Meet Europe’s 30 Under 30 In Technology 2022: The Visionaries Creating A New Digitalized Europe" (in en). https://www.forbes.com/sites/igorbosilkovski/2022/05/03/meet-europes-30-under-30-in-technology-2022-the-visionaries-creating-a-new-digitalized-europe/. 
  2. ↑ Silliman, Daniel. "Venture Capitalists See Profit in Prayer" (in en). https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/january/app-investment-prayer-bible-meditation-glorify-hallow.html. 
  3. ↑ "Michael Bublé, Kris Jenner part of $40M investment in Christian meditation app Glorify" (in en-US). 2021-12-02. https://religionnews.com/2021/12/02/michael-buble-kris-jenner-invest-in-christian-mediation-app-glorify/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Machell, Ben. "How Christian app Glorify persuaded Hollywood to do God" (in en). ISSN 0140-0460. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-christian-app-glorify-persuaded-hollywood-to-do-god-2ztnbqprs. 
  5. ↑ Hosking, Patrick (December 2, 2021). "Hollywood celebrities back young British entrepreneur Ed Beccle’s Glorify app" (in en). The Times (UK). ISSN 0140-0460. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hollywood-celebrities-back-young-british-entrepreneur-ed-beccles-glorify-app-9qkpqbz8c. 
  6. ↑ "Glorify, an ambitious app for Christians, just landed $40 million in Series A funding led by a16z" (in en-US). https://social.techcrunch.com/2021/12/02/glorify-an-ambitious-app-for-christians-just-landed-40-million-in-series-a-funding-led-by-a16z/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Praise the Lord (and the tech): Glorify worship app nabs $40 million from SoftBank" (in en-US). 2022-03-08. https://labsnews.com/en/articles/business/glorify-worship-app-nabs-40-million-from-softbank/. 
  8. ↑ "Glorify Closes $40M in Series B Funding" (in en-US). 2022-03-09. https://www.finsmes.com/2022/03/glorify-closes-40m-in-series-b-funding.html. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Hosking, Patrick, Kaya Burgess (Dec 3, 2021). "Glorify: Prayer pays off for Bible app pioneer Ed Beccle, 22" (in en). The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/glorify-prayer-pays-off-bible-app-pioneer-ed-beccle-n3jc03jgp. (Subscription content?)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "The Retaining Business of Faith: Glorify Raises $40M From SoftBank" (in en-US). Bloomberg Línea. 2022-03-08. https://www.bloomberglinea.com/2022/03/08/the-retaining-business-of-faith-glorify-raises-40m-from-softbank/#:~:text=In%20total,%20the%20Christian%20app,when%20he%20was%20a%20kid.. 
  11. ↑ "Funding for Faith-Based Apps Soared in 2021, Attracting $175 Million in Financial Support" (in en). 2021-12-30. https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2021/december/funding-for-faith-based-apps-soars-in-2021-attracting-175-million-in-financial-support. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "SoftBank backs Christian app Glorify in new £30m round - BusinessCloud" (in en-GB). BusinessCloud. 2022-03-18. https://businesscloud.co.uk/news/softbank-backs-christian-app-glorify-in-new-30m-round/. 
  13. ↑ "'Why mental health matters in our faith journey' - Inspire Magazine". https://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/stories/view?articleid=3520. 
  14. ↑ "Prayer Link - May 24, 2022" (in en). 2022-05-24. https://www1.cbn.com/video/show/2022/05/24/prayer-link-may-24-2022. 
  15. ↑ Woollacott, Emma (May 3, 2022). "'Creepy' Mental Health And Prayer Apps Are Sharing Your Personal Data". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawoollacott/2022/05/03/creepy-mental-health-and-prayer-apps-are-sharing-your-personal-data/?sh=672a6d9e4672. 



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