Hangar Capital^[1] managing partner Josh Mendelsohn joins the show to discuss the possibilities and limitations of digital contact tracing during COVID-19. We’re also joined by Alex Haefner and Matt Harris from Envoy^[2], a workplace management startup whose app has evolved to include a contact tracing feature. Plus, we catch up again with PitchBook analyst Kaia Colban—an expert in health and wellness tech. For additional reading, check out Kaia’s recent report^[3] on how tech companies are helping employers prepare to reopen their offices safely and effectively.

Explore more of Season 2^[4] and subscribe to get new episodes of “In Visible Capital” every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts^[5], Spotify^[6], Google Podcasts^[7] or wherever you listen. For inquiries, please contact us at podcast@pitchbook.com^[8].

Transcript

Jen Germain: We’re going to go to 12. Lee Gibbs: I recently went into the PitchBook headquarters in Seattle, along with our producer, Jen, for the first time since probably March, when quarantine first began in our area and the company shifted to working remotely.

Jen: It’s very eerie and quiet. I’m not used to this.

Lee: It is a little bit eerie. I’m used to a little bit more hustle and bustle.

Lee: As of September, when this podcast is being recorded, employees are still mostly working from home. However, in June, when certain regulations were lifted, PitchBook did open its offices to a limited number of volunteer employees who preferred the option of working in the office over working remotely.

Sarah Craft: On average, we have about seven or eight people coming in per day to the office, in comparison to around 475 [people] normally.

Lee: That was Sarah Craft, the Seattle office manager for PitchBook.

Sarah: For all of us in Facilities, who are all planners, it’s been really difficult because we’re like ‘We just want a solid plan’ and we can’t do it right now.

Lee: As a rule for being admitted into the office, employee’s must first download and sign into an app on their phone and answer a series of health-related questions before receiving approval to go in.