Recruitment startup Vervoe raises $4.6 million in round led by Seek

Recruitment platform Vervoe has raised US$3.5 million ($4.64 million) in a funding round led by Seek, which kicked in US$2 million, with participation from investors including former Etsy and Squarespace COO Jesse Hertzberg and Ruslan Kogan.

Cofounded by Omer Molad and David Weinberg, Vervoe looks to replace face to face interviews with automated interviews and online simulations. It works by having employers pick from a library of interview scripts or set their own questions for applicants to answer via video.

Employers can also ask for work samples, or set simulations of tasks, again able to set their own or choose from a library of tasks written by experts. The startup reported that it has worked with 4,000 clients since launch, including Uber and F45.

The funding will go towards building out Vervoe’s global sales team and the development of new features, with the startup in particular focused on leveraging machine learning.

Using this tech, the startup explained it will look to rank candidates based on how they perform in online simulations against an employer’s hiring requirements, and also give employers and recruiters “thorough insight into each candidate’s character”. 

Molad, CEO of Vervoe said, “I love the fact that by giving every candidate a chance to be interviewed simultaneously we’re making hiring about how people perform, not their backgrounds. That’s our mission at Vervoe, and this capital raising gives us the opportunity to bring our way of interviewing to more companies around the world.”

Along with the funding, Seek and Vervoe are in discussions to set up a strategic partnership.

Ronnie Fink, Seek managing director of corporate development, said, “We are pleased to support Vervoe in their growth ambitions. We know candidates are looking for ways to demonstrate relevant job skills and employers and recruiters are seeking confidence and efficiencies in the short-listing process. Vervoe is making great inroads leveraging technology to address these problems.”

The last startup investment for Seek came in March, when it co-led an $8 million Series B round for HR startup Employment Hero.

It has also invested in Sidekicker, which provides businesses with workers on-demand, and made a strategic investment into Melbourne startup BetterView, which looks to help recruiters gather information about a job candidate from their colleagues early on in the recruitment process.

Image: Omer Molad and David Weinberg.