PitchMe, a skills-based talent marketplace that matches candidates’ soft and professional skills with the right jobs and upskilling opportunities, today announced that it has raised a $1.2M seed round. The round was led by New York-based Starta Ventures and also includes investments from a UK-based family office and a number of angel investors.
PitchMe aims to improve diversity and inclusion in the future of work by eliminating bias from the candidate screening process using its proprietary Skillsourcing© process. The platform aims to replace the traditional CV with a system that presents candidates’ soft skills and hard skills to employers, using a methodology designed by leading behavioral scientists. PitchMe is already being used by industry leaders such as Miro, Revolut, Typeform, and Intercom.
Instead of relying on time-consuming questionnaires, PitchMe harnesses proprietary big data algorithms to extract information on job candidates from more than 60 online sources. These sources are then verified for accuracy to create the candidate’s SmartMe Profile, an alternative profile that allows candidates' real skills and experience to do the talking, which is then shared with suitable employers anonymously.
Aside from making the hiring process more inclusive, the platform is proven to match candidates with suitable roles 40% more accurately, 50% faster and 50% more cheaply than traditional platforms or recruitment agencies. PitchMe also provides candidates with educational opportunities for developing their careers, based on the analysis of the candidate’s skills and of the job market needs.
Research from LinkedIn found that 67% of hiring managers and recruiters said AI saves them time as they source job candidates. But an HBR report raises concerns about the increased risk of bias using AI systems trained with inherently biased HR data and calls for solutions that ensure people are treated fairly throughout the entire employee lifecycle regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, or background.
“As employers across industries try to take advantage of the talent surplus caused by COVID-19, we are seeing an increasing demand for a more accurate assessment of skills - this has led to a 300% growth in demand for our profiling and matching services,” says Dina Bayasanova, CEO and founder of PitchMe. “We are thrilled to have secured funding to continue in our mission to make the future of work more inclusive and connect the right talent with the right opportunities for their personal and professional growth, regardless of background.”
PitchMe plans to use the funding to expand its marketing team to promote its SmartMe Profile, and further optimize its Skillsourcing© process.
“PitchMe is a graduate from one of the first Starta Accelerator batches,” said Alexey Girin, a partner of Starta Ventures. “Right from the get-go, we fell in love with the team and product. This is Neo HR, providing a completely different user experience. Now that the company has found its positioning and its first big customers, it's time to scale up, and it makes complete sense to us to not only take part in the round but to lead it!”
About PitchMe
Innovating the future of work to find your future in work
PitchMe is London based skills-based talent marketplace that matches candidates’ soft and professional skills with the right jobs and upskilling opportunities. PitchMe aims to improve diversity and inclusion in the future of work by eliminating bias from the candidate screening process using its proprietary Skillsourcing© process.
The platform aims to replace the traditional CV with a system that presents candidates’ soft skills and hard skills to employers, using a methodology designed by leading behavioral scientists. PitchMe is already being used by industry leaders such as Miro, Revolut, Typeform, and Intercom.
About Starta Ventures
Headquartered in New York, USA, Starta Ventures brings together an early-stage investment fund, acceleration program, and co-working space under its brand. Starta’s mission is to break through traditional venture capital barriers to empower the next generation of tech entrepreneurs.
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