Hudson and Seek join HR-focused Slingshot accelerator Human Capital

As it gears up for the launch of its HR-focused accelerator, Human Capital, Slingshot has announced that recruitment and talent solutions company Hudson and online job search platform Seek have joined the program as corporate partners, with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) also supporting the program.

Kicking off in March, the 12 week accelerator will look to help startups and scaleups working on solutions for the HR space and the ‘future of work’ further develop their offering and connect them to business opportunities. Participants will receive $30,000 in funding in exchange for 10 percent equity.

Remembering that Seek itself is a “startup born out of disruption”, Andrew Bassat, CEO and cofounder of Seek, said the company is eager to support the next generation of local entrepreneurs.

“We believe that SEEK has much to offer the next generation of high growth companies. Through this program, SEEK will look to share its experience, and hopefully find opportunities to help scale up new businesses via our relationships with over 700,000 hirers and 150 million candidates,” he said.

Mark Steyn, Hudson’s Asia Pacific CEO, said the company will look to connect entrepreneurs participating in the program with its global resources and business network.

“Today’s workplace is changing rapidly. The ways in which we find jobs, organisations identify and engage talent, and the significant potential of talent analytics to boost business performance are all evolving at a breakneck pace,” he said.

“Technology can provide a powerful way to support this change, and Hudson is eager to collaborate with entrepreneurs who are passionate about improving the future of work and driving the next wave of HR-tech innovation.”

UTS too will help connect participating startups to its network, as well as looking to implement relevant solutions within its own organisation.

The university, which has long marketed itself as one of Australia’s most innovative, has shown it’s willing to take a bet on startups, last year trialling systems from Fixit and Presumi, two startups that took part in its Hatchery+ accelerator program.

The local HR space has developed into one of the most interesting over the last few years, with startup after startup looking to solve various problems in the sector.

Many have sought to take a new approach to recruitment in particular, with OneShift and Workible among those now well-established in the space, while others have focused on everything from job-sharing roles for working mothers to HR management for small businesses.

Highlighting the potential for these solutions to be taken on by corporates, ANZ last week announced a partnership with HR platform Employment Hero, which helps employers manage employee performance and benefits. The partnership will see the Employment Hero system offered to the bank’s SMB clients.

Image: The Slingshot team. Source: Supplied.