A Voice to the Vulnerable

It began in Japan (and Berlin).

In 2018, founder Kirsten Baker traveled abroad
to Tokyo, finding herself at a loss for words at every turn, whether asking for directions to the nearest Metro or ordering sushi. She called her mother
in Germany, and sprachgefühl serendipity struck:

What if you could summon the words you needed anytime, anywhere?

Upon her return to the States, market research began on an “Uber for interpreters.” In 2019, the Jeenie MVP App launched, focusing on the travel industry, and quickly expanded to 150 countries. Fittingly, a Tokyo 2020 Olympics contract was next. We knew we had something special.

Then the pandemic hit. 

Healthcare was always going to be a key market for Jeenie, but COVID catalyzed a sense of urgency as we rapidly expanded our focus and offerings to meet critical needs across the  healthcare industry. It was clear that providers desperately needed better, more mobile, solutions to offer equal access and equitable care to non-English speakers during this crisis. It did not take long before Jeenie’s innovative approach to interpreting gained momentum and vocal advocates.  

The company grew quickly – scaling to meet massive demand for better communication solutions. 

In January 2021, we closed our Series A round for $9.3M. In March of that year, we spoke as part of the White House Task Force on Health Equity. That was just the start - every year Jeenie receives multiple awards for innovation, health equity, and world-class leadership. That’s because our mission, product, and vision propel us forward. Like language, we’re always evolving. Jeenie continues to set the pace in language access techequity and we don’t plan to stop any time soon.