Hey

Hey is a technology company.

Active

Updated: Dec 9, 2025 ·

Recent News & Mentions

Jan 1, 2014FundingHey - Series A Dec 1, 2013FundingHey - Seed

Financial History

Hey has raised $6.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $4.0M Series A in January 2014.

Total Raised

$6.0M

Valuation

N/A

Funding Rounds Raised

Date	Round	Lead Investors	Other Investors
Jan 1, 2014	$4.0M Series A		Andreessen Horowitz, Binary Capital, Chicago Ventures, CRV, DFJ, Index Ventures, Melvina Ventures, Otherwise Fund, Pace Capital, Seven Seven Six, Spark Capital, Tiger Global Management, Y Combinator, David Marcus, Joshua Reeves, Joshua Schachter, Sam Altman, Tyler Willis
Dec 1, 2013	$2.0M Seed		Accel, ACME Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Baseline Ventures, Canvas Ventures, Casa Verde Capital, Chicago Ventures, Craft Ventures, DCVC (Data Collective), DFJ, Fifth Wall, FJ Labs, Foundation Capital, Fuel Capital, Fyrefly VC, General Atlantic, Gigascale Capital, Goat Capital, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Harrison Metal, Heavybit, H.I.G. Capital, IVP, Khosla Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Moderne Ventures, Offline Ventures, Owl Rock Capital Partners, Pear VC, Pioneer Square Labs, PivotNorth Capital, QueensBridge Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, Sapphire Ventures, Scale Venture Partners, SciFi VC, Sherpa Ventures, Social Capital, SoftBank Investment Advisers, Sound Ventures, Spark Capital, Summit Partners, Techstars, ThirdLove, Threshold Ventures, Top Tier Capital Partners, Uncork Capital, Uncorrelated Ventures, Uprising, Steve Krausz, Webb Investment Network, Aayush Phumbhra, Adam Wiggins, Alex Franz, Charlie Cheever, Hiten Shah, Javier Olivan, Jeremy LaTrasse, Jim Pitkow, Mark Pincus, Rashaun Williams, Roger Ehrenberg, Scott Banister, Shervin Pishevar

Financial History

Hey has raised $6.0M across 2 funding rounds.

Total Raised

$6.0M

Valuation

N/A

Deep Dive

High-Level Overview

HEY is a technology company that reimagines email and calendar services, offering a paid platform designed to restore the joy of email by prioritizing control, simplicity, and delight over traditional inbox overload. Developed by 37signals, it serves individuals and professionals frustrated with cluttered inboxes from services like Gmail or Outlook, solving the problem of unwanted spam, automated noise, and loss of user control through innovative features like screened senders, dedicated sections for different email types (e.g., newsletters, updates), and integrated calendars. Available across Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android, HEY emphasizes a subscription model for a curated, human-centric experience, positioning it as a premium alternative in the productivity software space.[2]

Origin Story

HEY emerged from 37signals, a software company known for products like Basecamp, with co-founder and CEO Jason Fried leading the charge. Fried's vision stemmed from personal frustration with email's evolution: once a "treasure" for meaningful communication, it devolved into a "chore" due to spam, unsolicited messages, and poor handling by incumbents like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and Apple Mail. The idea crystallized as a "love letter to email," launched in 2020 as a radical redesign—focusing on modern habits like separating personal notes from feeds and feeds from newsletters—to reclaim email's magic. Early traction came from 37signals' loyal user base, with Fried publicly sharing the backstory to highlight pivotal shifts in user control and software neglect.[2]

(Note: Search results reference a separate "Hey" in generative AI for customer service [1], but context confirms this query targets 37signals' HEY email service [2].)

Core Differentiators

HEY stands out in the crowded email market through these key strengths:

User Control and Organization: Imposes sender screening (e.g., "The Imbox" for approved contacts only) and categorizes emails into dedicated bins like Feed, Paper Trail, and Focus, eliminating traditional inbox chaos.[2]
Cross-Platform Simplicity: Seamless experience across Web, desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux), and mobile (iOS, Android), with integrated calendar tools for a unified productivity hub.[2]
Anti-Spam Philosophy: Blocks unsolicited and automated emails by default, treating email as a privilege—not a free-for-all—while preserving reliability for cherished communications.[2]
Subscription-Driven Delight: Paid model funds ongoing innovation without ads or data mining, fostering a "fresh start" feel over free alternatives bogged down by neglect.[2]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

HEY rides the wave of digital minimalism and productivity renaissance in tech, where users reject bloated, ad-fueled services amid rising inbox fatigue (average user receives 120+ emails daily). Its 2020 timing capitalized on pandemic-driven remote work, amplifying demand for tools that combat burnout and restore focus—aligning with trends like AI-assisted curation (though HEY stays human-first) and subscription economies. Market forces like privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR) and Big Tech antitrust scrutiny favor independents like 37signals, which influences the ecosystem by challenging giants to innovate (e.g., Gmail's later bundling features) and inspiring indie devs to prioritize user sovereignty over scale.[2]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

HEY's trajectory points to expanded ecosystem integrations, potentially blending AI lightly for smarter screening without compromising its anti-automation ethos, while scaling globally amid hybrid work persistence. Trends like decentralized communication and zero-inbox methodologies will propel it, evolving its influence from niche disruptor to mainstream staple—proving email can indeed be a "treasure" again, as Jason Fried envisioned.[2]

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

How much funding has Hey raised?

Hey has raised $6.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.

Who are Hey's investors?

Hey's investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Binary Capital, Chicago Ventures, CRV, DFJ, Index Ventures, Melvina Ventures, Otherwise Fund, Pace Capital, Seven Seven Six, Spark Capital, Tiger Global Management.