Praxis Labs | Precursor Ventures
Praxis Labs partners with organizations to increase diversity and inclusion outcomes through immersive learning experiences.
News
AI leadership development platform Praxis Labs sells to Torch
July 11, 2025
Praxis Labs, a learning development platform, announced its acquisition on Thursday for an undisclosed amount by the leadership and coaching enterprise Torch. TechCrunch
Founders from Curie, Incredible Health, Pair Eyewear, Partake Foods, Praxis Labs, and The Grand were featured in Inc’s 2024 Female Founders 250 List
April 15, 2024
Meet the boundaries-pushing female founders that grew their collective 2023 revenue to more than $8.86 billion and raised $6.2 billion in funding to date. Inc
Elise Smith Is Among the Most-Funded Black Women in Tech. She Doesn’t Want to Talk About Funding
September 5, 2023
When Elise Smith co-founded DEI learning platform Praxis Labs in 2019, she wasn’t trying to gain fame. She was trying to level the corporate ecosystem. Inc.
Accenture Invests in Praxis Labs
June 15, 2023
Praxis Labs, a San Francisco, CA-based software-as-a-service virtual reality (VR) company with an end-to-end immersive learning platform, received an investment from Accenture Ventures. FinSMEs
One of Silicon Valley’s most exclusive clubs just got bigger. Here’s a list of Black women who raised more than $1 million in VC funding last year
January 25, 2022
Maia Tekle (Dispatch Goods), Elise Smith (Praxis Labs), Shanea Leven (co-founder of CodeSee) and Fatima Dicko (founder of Sugar) were featured on Business Insider’s list of Black female founders who’ve raised more than $1 million! Business Insider
Elise Smith And Heather Shen’s Praxis Labs Raises $15.5M In Oversubscribed Series A Round
October 22, 2021
Praxis Labs, a Black and Asian-woman-founded company utilizing the power of virtual reality (VR) for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) training, just raised $15.5 million in an oversubscribed Series A round. AfroTech
What do chief diversity officers know about tech?
October 15, 2021
You can learn a lot by interviewing over 150 chief diversity officers. Elise Smith and Heather Shen certainly did when they conducted research for the startup they co-founded, Praxis Labs, which creates virtual reality-powered diversity training sessions for organizations. Praxis Labs, where Smith is CEO and Shen is chief product officer, said Friday that it raised $15.5 million in funding from Norwest Venture Partners and Penny Jar Capital, the early-stage investment firm of NBA superstar Stephen Curry. Fortune
How to Make Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion a Reality With Virtual Reality
May 8, 2021
Praxis Labs is making workplace training immersive by bringing it to the virtual world. Inc.
Elise Smith, CEO Of Praxis Labs, Raises $3.2 Million In Venture Capital To Help Bring Forth More Conscious Leaders Using Virtual Reality
February 22, 2021
In the wake of massive political shifts and cultural unrest, business leaders have been put on notice. A significant number of employees are not happy with how they’re often viewed in the workplace. As we enter into the new year, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives are skyrocketing. But with little evidence to support the efficacy of the one-off lectures and yearly self-guided trainings that most companies have invested in, long-term commitment and ongoing learning seem to be the answer. Elise Smith, Cofounder and CEO of Praxis Labs, is bringing that opportunity to corporate America, allowing employees and leaders to change their perspectives over time by virtually stepping into the shoes of those feeling the sting of stigma. Forbes