Instant Teams

High-Level Overview

Instant Teams is a women-owned, military spouse-owned, venture-backed C Corporation that operates a customer experience (CX) talent marketplace. It connects businesses with remote CX talent, primarily military spouses, through skills-based hiring, BPO/outsourcing services, a targeted job board, and brand activations, solving staffing challenges while promoting financial wellness for military families.[1][2][3] The platform serves enterprise organizations across industries like cybersecurity, edtech, healthtech, Fortune 500 companies, and the Department of Defense, offering rapidly deployable, high-retention teams that reduce attrition and meet deadlines with talent boasting high education levels (82% with some college, 60% with four-year degrees).[1][2]

Since launching in 2016, Instant Teams has raised $14.99M in funding, including a $13M Series A in 2022 led by Tiger Global, and generates around $18.5M in revenue with 281 employees. Its growth momentum includes recognition like Ernst & Young’s 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year finalist for CEO Liza Rodewald and Forbes coverage of its CX leadership.[3][4]

Origin Story

Instant Teams was founded in 2016 as MadSkills, a simple website where military spouses could sign up for remote work opportunities posted by companies.[2][3] The idea emerged from recognizing the untapped potential of military spouses—highly educated and resilient due to frequent relocations—who faced employment barriers from constant transitions.[1][2]

In January 2019, it rebranded to Instant Teams to reflect its expanded mission of rapidly building remote CX teams, launching proprietary technology for a full marketplace with skills-based hiring and customizable talent pipelines.[2] A pivotal moment came in March 2022 with a $13M Series A funding round led by Tiger Global, enabling scaling to serve diverse industries including the Department of Defense.[2][3] Headquartered in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware (with operations in Southern Pines, North Carolina), it has evolved into a remote-first leader employing the "force behind the force."[3][4]

Core Differentiators

Instant Teams stands out in the CX staffing space through its mission-driven focus on military spouses and innovative tech:

• Impact Sourcing Model: Pairs social good (empowering military families) with business value, delivering "sticky" talent with unrivaled loyalty, rapid proficiency, and low attrition due to remote, sustainable careers.[1][2]
• Skills-Based Marketplace: Proprietary platform enables customized remote teams via tech-enabled pipelines, supporting temp-to-perm, BPO, job boards, and activations—beyond traditional resumes.[1][2][5]
• Talent Quality and Scale: Leverages a diverse, educated workforce (high college attainment) conditioned for stress and transitions, serving enterprises with scalable, high-performing CX solutions.[1][2]
• Remote-First Expertise: Masters hiring, training, deploying, and managing at scale since 2016, offering remote, hybrid, and in-person options with proven growth (281 employees, $18.5M revenue).[3][4][5]

These elements create a unique blend of technology, community, and purpose, earning accolades like Forbes praise for CX innovation.[1][4]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Instant Teams rides the remote work and skills-based hiring megatrend, accelerated by the pandemic, addressing talent shortages in CX amid a flexible workforce boom.[2][5] Timing is ideal: post-2022 funding aligns with enterprise demand for diverse, distributed teams, especially as 60% of military spouses hold degrees but face underemployment.[1][2]

Market forces like high CX attrition, DEI mandates, and remote scalability favor it—enterprises gain cost-effective, loyal talent no other platform matches for this community.[1][3] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering impact sourcing, supporting women- and military spouse-owned ventures, and enabling startups/Fortune 500 to access DoD-vetted pipelines, reshaping staffing for healthtech, edtech, and cybersecurity.[2][4]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Instant Teams is poised for expansion as AI-driven CX and gig economy tools evolve, potentially integrating advanced matching or upskilling for military talent. Trends like hybrid work permanence and corporate social impact will fuel growth, with its $15M+ funding base supporting enterprise wins and international reach.[3][4][5]

Its influence may grow by setting standards for purpose-led staffing, evolving from niche marketplace to CX powerhouse—empowering brands while uplifting communities, much like its origin as a simple job board sparked a scalable mission.