Year-to-date, there have been over 350 deals and approximately $1.96B invested to HR tech startups. At the current run-rate, 2016 deal count will surpass last year’s total, but dollars from these deals may lag 2015’s funding total.
While investors haven’t invested at the same dollar pace this year, the increased deal count in 2016 suggests investors are still finding opportunities in the category. With deal count reaching all-time highs, we dug into HR tech on a more granular level to analyze where investors are placing bets.
We used CB Insights data to identify 125+ HR tech companies and mapped them according to 13 categories within HR tech. These HR tech startups are helping companies manage critical pain points in HR processes such as recruitment, automation, career development, compensation, and benefits management, through a mix of software and services.
This list contains companies that recently raised large rounds, are well-funded within the category, or have high scores on Mosaic, CB Insights’ proprietary algorithm that uses financial and nonfinancial signals to predict private company health. For more information on CB Insights’ Mosaic scoring tool read here.
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Track HR tech companiesClick on the image below to enlarge. This market map is not meant to be exhaustive of companies in the space.
Below are the primary HR tech categories in our market map:
Career Development / Coaching: These tools help employees reach development goals and provide employers with business intelligence through learning management systems (LMS), continuous feedback collection tools, and other platforms focused on employee development. Companies include Zugata, a mobile collaboration and development tool and coaching application BetterUp.
Workplace Culture: These companies help promote workplace goodwill, improve culture, and administer perks and rewards. Category includes perks marketplace AnyPerk and charitable donation site Benevity.
Compensation and Benefits: These companies create software that allow companies to manage payroll, benefits, compliance, and insurance administration. Companies include Gusto, Justworks, Namely, Zenefits, and Beisen, as well as health insurance comparison tools SimplyInsured and Lumity.
Note: Gusto, Justworks, Namely and Zenefits have all expanded on initial insurance brokerage and payroll services to include workforce optimization tools in an effort to provide customers with an all-in-one HR administration platform.
Flexible Hiring: These companies provide a centralized platform for on-demand workers, part-time freelancers or consultants, and part-time jobs. This category reflects the growing gig-economy and employee’s desire for flexible work arrangements. Companies include freelance marketplace Field Nation and Staff Finder, a marketplace for contractors and part-time hires.
Tech Hiring: These companies provide a centralized platform for on-demand technology talent for part-time, freelance, and full-time jobs as well as tools to help screen tech talent. This category appeals to the growing demand for technology talent and includes tech marketplaces Andela and Entelo.
College / Graduate Hiring: These companies provide a centralized platform for job postings and internships that target college students and recent graduates. Companies include career network and recruitment platforms Handshake and WayUp.
Background Checking: These companies provide screening tools to run background checks on potential hires. These include SterlingBackCheck, Onfido, and Checkr.
Salary Comparison Tools: These tools can be used to compare the market salary for positions, compensation, and workplace culture. These companies include PayScale, Comparably, and Paysa.
Staffing / Scheduling: Provide software that helps manage staff scheduling, optimize headcount and expenses, and plan for human capital needs. This includes scheduling tool Planday and Homebase, a platform to manage time-sheets and schedules for employees that work remotely.
Job Board / Resources: These companies provide a centralized platform for companies to post openings and a marketplace to attract a continuous funnel of talent to fill openings. These companies are emerging globally to help countries address recruitment and include Japan-based job marketplace Bizreach and China-based marketplace Dajie.
HR Automation: These services provide a platform to centralize and bring consistency to onboarding, managing employee profiles, manage employee assessments and time reporting, and provide engagement analytics. Includes workforce analytics platform hiQ Labs and ThinkHR, an employee on-boarding platform.
Candidate Screening / Vetting: These companies provide recruitment tools that help vet applicants for companies in advance of an interview. Includes companies that administer tests and assessments to gauge candidate skills and analytics, such as Phenom People and Hired.
Candidate Tracking and Relationship Management: This category includes applicant tracking system (ATS) software and candidate relationship management (CRM) tools that centralize candidate information and provide a platform for companies to collaborate and holistically review applicants. This includes ATS software companies Greenhouse Software, iCIMS, and Lever.
| Company | Select Investors | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Checkr | Accel Partners, Institutional Venture Partners, Y Combinator, Google Ventures, Khosla Ventures | Background Checking |
| Onfido | Salesforce Ventures, Talis Capital, CrunchFund, Wellington Partners | Background Checking |
| SterlingBackCheck | Undisclosed Investors | Background Checking |
| Criteria Corp | Level Equity | Candidate Screening / Vetting |
| Hired | Comcast Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Glenmede, Google Ventures,New Enterprise Associates, Sierra Ventures, SoftTech VC | Candidate Screening / Vetting |
| HireVue | Granite Ventures, Investor Growth Capital, Peterson Ventures, Rose Park Advisors, Sequoia Capital, Technology Crossover Ventures | Candidate Screening / Vetting |
| HunterOn | China Growth Capital, IDG Capital Partners, Sequoia Capital China | Candidate Screening / Vetting |
| LearnUp | New Enterprise Associates, Shasta Ventures, Floodgate, Greylock, High Line Venture Partners | Candidate Screening / Vetting |
| Lytmus | Accel Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Andreessen Horowitz | Candidate Screening / Vetting |
| Phenom People | Sierra Ventures, Sigma Prime Ventures | Candidate Screening / Vetting |
| PipaHR | Arbor Ventures, ChinaRock Capital Management, SAIF Partners, ZhenFund | Candidate Screening / Vetting |
| Pymetrics | BBG Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Mercer, Microsoft Ventures Accelerator, Randstad Holding | Candidate Screening / Vetting |
| TalentSky | Highland Europe, Goldman Sachs | Candidate Screening / Vetting |
| Vettery | Greycroft Partners, Lightbank | Candidate Screening / Vetting |
| Atipica | David Windley, Ellen Pao, Kapor Capital, Matt Sanford, Precursor Ventures | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| Greenhouse Software | Benchmark, Felicis Ventures, Groupe Arnault, Social Capital, Thrive Capital | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| Hireology | Bain Capital Ventures, Baird Capital Partners, Lightbank | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| iCIMS | Susquehanna Growth Equity | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| Lever | Correlation Ventures, Index Ventures, Matrix Partners, Scale Venture Partners | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| Liepin | China Mobile, Matrix Partners China | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| PeopleAdmin | Summit Partners, Vista Equity Partners | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| Restless Bandit | GGV Capital, Toba Capital | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| SmartRecruiters | Salesforce Ventures, Mayfield Fund, Rembrandt Venture Partners, Insight Venture Partners | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| Smashfly Technologies | Bessemer Venture Partners, OpenView Venture Partners | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| TalentSky | Undisclosed Investors | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| Unitive | Correlation Ventures, Floodgate, Ignition Partners, Kapor Capital, Plum Alley, Webb Investment Network | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| Workable | 83North, Balderton Capital, Notion Capital | Candidate Tracking And Relationship Management |
| BetterUp | Crosslink Capital, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Freestyle Capital, Social Capital, SV Angel, Vista Ventures | Career Development / Coaching |
| CommercialTribe | Access Venture Partners, Boulder Ventures, Grotech Ventures | Career Development / Coaching |
| Everwise | Canvas Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Webb Investment Network | Career Development / Coaching |
| GamEffective | 2B Angels, Shaked Ventures, Verint Systems | Career Development / Coaching |
| HighGround | Columbus Nova Technology Partners, KDWC Ventures, Lightbank | Career Development / Coaching |
| Landit | New Enterprise Associates, Cue Ball Capital, Female Founders Fund , Xfund |
Career Development / Coaching |
| Lattice | Slack Fund | Career Development / Coaching |
| Uniquedu | Fosun Kinzon Capital, Shenzhen Qianhe Capital Management Co. | Career Development / Coaching |
| Zugata | Canaan Partners, General Catalyst Partners, Redpoint Ventures | Career Development / Coaching |
| 100Kuai | Yurun Group, Zeqing Capital | College / Graduate Hiring |
| Handshake | Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Spark Capital, True Ventures, Lowercase Captital | College / Graduate Hiring |
| Qingtuanshe | Zhubajie | College / Graduate Hiring |
| Studitemps | Iris Capital,b-to-v, XAnge Private Equity | College / Graduate Hiring |
| WayUp | BoxGroup, General Catalyst Partners, Index Ventures, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, RRE Ventures, Slow Ventures | College / Graduate Hiring |
| 51Shebao | Zhubajie | Compensation and Benefits |
| Empyrean Benefit Solutions | Claritas Capital, FTV Capital | Compensation and Benefits |
| ForUsAll | Foundation Capital, Horizons Ventures | Compensation and Benefits |
| Greytip Software | Blume Ventures, New Enterprise Associates | Compensation and Benefits |
| Gusto | capitalG, Frontier Tech VC, Emergence Capital Partners, General Catalyst Partners, Google Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Salesforce Ventures | Compensation and Benefits |
| Jiff | Aberdare Ventures, Aeris Capital | Compensation and Benefits |
| Joyowo.com | Meridian Capital, Sequoia Capital China | Compensation and Benefits |
| Justworks | Bain Capital Ventures, Index Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, Thrive Capital | Compensation and Benefits |
| Lumity | Rock Health, Social Capital, True Ventures | Compensation and Benefits |
| Maxwell Health | Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Tribeca Venture Partners, Vaizra Investments, Catalyst Health Ventures | Compensation and Benefits |
| Namely | Bullpen Capital, Greenspring Associates, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Matrix Partners, Sequoia Capital, True Ventures | Compensation and Benefits |
| Paycor | Goldman Sachs | Compensation and Benefits |
| PayFit | Kima Ventures,Otium Capital, TheFamily | Compensation and Benefits |
| PlanSource | Great Hill Partners, Lemhi Ventures | Compensation and Benefits |
| SalaryFinance | Brightbridge Ventures | Compensation and Benefits |
| SimplyInsured | AltaIR.VC, Bessemer Venture Partners, Corazon Capital, Polaris Partners | Compensation and Benefits |
| Spreemo | Pamplona Capital Management | Compensation and Benefits |
| Zenefits | Andreessen Horowitz, Comcast Ventures, Fidelity Investments, Founders Fund, Insight Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, Sound Ventures, TPG Growth | Compensation and Benefits |
| Assured Labor | Capital Indigo, Enzyme Venture Capital, Fabrice Grinda, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Jose Marin, Kima Ventures, Nexus Venture Partners | Flexible Hiring |
| Catalant | General Catalyst Partners, Greylock Partners, Bob Doris, GE Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, Mark Cuban | Flexible Hiring |
| Crew Labs | Accomplice, BDC Venture Capital, BOLDstart Ventures, iNovia Capital, LaunchCapital, LDV Capital, and Real Ventures | Flexible Hiring |
| Doumi | Banyan Capital, Blue Lake Capital, Hillhouse Capital Management, New Hope Group, Tencent Holdings | Flexible Hiring |
| Field Nation | Susquehanna Growth Equity | Flexible Hiring |
| Jobbatical | Union Square Ventures, SmartCap, LocalGlobe | Flexible Hiring |
| Network Locum | Beringea, BGF Ventures, Piton Capital, Playfair Capital, Samos Investments | Flexible Hiring |
| OneSpace | Highland Capital, Lewis & Clark Ventures | Flexible Hiring |
| ShiftGig | FireStarter Fund, Chicago Ventures | Flexible Hiring |
| SnagAJob | NewSpring Capital, Rho Ventures, StarVest Partners, Adams Street Partners, Baird Venture Partners | Flexible Hiring |
| Spare5 | Foundry Group, Madrona Venture Group, New Enterprise Associates | Flexible Hiring |
| Staff Finder | Goldman Sachs, One Peak Partners | Flexible Hiring |
| Wonolo | Coca-Cola Founders, CrunchFund, Foundry Group | Flexible Hiring |
| Beisen | Matrix Partners China, Sequoia Capital China | HR Automation |
| Ceridian | David Ossip, Fidelity National Financial, Thomas H. Lee Partners | HR Automation |
| Culture Amp | Blackbird Ventures, Felicis Ventures, Index Ventures | HR Automation |
| Electronic Commerce | Frontier Capital | HR Automation |
| FXiaoKe | Beijing Hualian Group, Li Yue Venture Capital, Zhangshaxing Capital | HR Automation |
| GENIAC | Grant Thornton | HR Automation |
| Glint | Bessemer Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, Shasta Ventures | HR Automation |
| HeavenHR | Mutschler Ventures, Open Ocean Capital, Piton Capital, Target Global | HR Automation |
| Hibob | Bessemer Venture Partners, LocalGlobe, Taavet Hinrikus | HR Automation |
| hiQ Labs | Temp Innovation Fund, Vayner RSE | HR Automation |
| HR Path | Ardian, Société Générale | HR Automation |
| Microseer | IDG Capital Partners, JD Finance | HR Automation |
| MOVE Guides | New Enterprise Associates, Notion Capital | HR Automation |
| OneSource Virtual | Halyard Capital, Technology Crossover Ventures | HR Automation |
| Reflektive | Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Spectrum 28 | HR Automation |
| SafetyCulture | Blackbird Ventures, Index Ventures, Scott Farquhar | HR Automation |
| Simpplr | Norwest Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures | HR Automation |
| Sympa | Alfven & Didrikson | HR Automation |
| SyncHR | NEA, Boulder Ventures, Octopus Investments | HR Automation |
| ThinkHR | Kennet Partners | HR Automation |
| TinyPulse | Baseline Ventures, Harrison Metal, Arthur Ventures, High Alpha, Varenne Investment | HR Automation |
| UrbanBound | Moderne Ventures | HR Automation |
| Babajob Services | SEEK, Gray Ghost Ventures, Khosla Ventures | Job Boards / Resources |
| Bizreach | Dentsu Digital Holdings, East Ventures, EFU Investments, GREE, IMJ Investment Partners, Link and Motivation, Rakuten, Salesforce Ventures, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Investment, YJ Capital | Job Boards / Resources |
| Bosszhipin | Banyan Capital, Capital Today, Meridian Capital, Shunwei Capital Partners | Job Boards / Resources |
| CornerJob | Ad4Ventures, Antai Business Angels, Bonsai Venture Capital, Caixa Capital Risc, Cube Investments, Ithaca Investment, Media Digital Ventures, Samaipata Ventures | Job Boards / Resources |
| Dajie | Northern Light Venture Capital, Shenzhen Cornerstone Capital, Softbank Capital | Job Boards / Resources |
| Glassdoor | Benchmark Capital, Sutter Hill Vetures, capitalG, Tiger Global Management | Job Boards / Resources |
| Jobandtalent | Fundacion Jose Manuel Entrecanales, Kibo Ventures, Nicolas Luca de Tena, Pelayo Cortina Koplowitz, Qualitas Equity Partners | Job Boards / Resources |
| Jobbio | Barry Maloney, Michael Chadwick, NJF Capital, Smurfit Family Investments | Job Boards / Resources |
| Jobillico | Capital regional et cooperatif Desjardins | Job Boards / Resources |
| JobToday | Accel Partners, Channel 4, Flint Capital, Mangrove Capital Partners | Job Boards / Resources |
| Jopwell | Andreessen Horowitz, Frontier Tech VC, Kapor Capital, Magic Johnson Enterprises, Omidyar Network , Valar Ventures | Job Boards / Resources |
| Lagou | Bertelsmann Asia Investments, Qiming Venture Partners | Job Boards / Resources |
| PowerToFly | Crosslink Capital, Hearst Ventures, Lerer Hippeau Ventures | Job Boards / Resources |
| Stella.ai | CRV | Job Boards / Resources |
| The Muse | Aspect Ventures, DBL Partners, Icon Ventures, QED Investors | Job Boards / Resources |
| Comparably | 500 Startups, BAM Ventures, Cornerstone Innovation Fund, Crosslink Capital, Lowercase Capital, Upfront Ventures | Salary Comparison Tools |
| Paysa | Milliways Ventures, New Enterprise Associates | Salary Comparison Tools |
| PayScale | Fluke Venture Partners, Madrona Venture Group, Waburg Pincus, Sapphire Ventures, Trinity Ventures | Salary Comparison Tools |
| Homebase | Baseline Ventures, Cowboy Ventures, Khosla Ventures | Staffing / Scheduling |
| Nimble Scheduling | SEEK | Staffing / Scheduling |
| OnShift | Early Stage Partners, Glengary, Draper Triangle Ventures, West Capital Advisors | Staffing / Scheduling |
| Planday | Creandum, IDInvest Partners, SEB Venture Capital | Staffing / Scheduling |
| Rocketrip | Bessemer Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, Genacast Ventures | Staffing / Scheduling |
| Skedulo | Blackbird Ventures, Costanoa Venture Capital | Staffing / Scheduling |
| When I Work | Greycoft Partners, Arthur Ventures, Drive Capital, High Alpha StudioA | Staffing / Scheduling |
| Andela | Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Google Ventures | Tech Hiring |
| Entelo | Battery Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Shasta Ventures | Tech Hiring |
| HackerRank | Khosla Ventures and Battery Ventures | Tech Hiring |
| source{d} | Kima Ventures, Otium Capital, Sunstone Capital | Tech Hiring |
| AnyPerk | Andreessen Horowitz, DCM Ventures, Nissay Capital, Vayner RSE | Workplace Culture |
| Benevity | JMI Equity | Workplace Culture |
| CyberGrants | Waud Capital Partners | Workplace Culture |
| Micro Benefits | Xurpas | Workplace Culture |
| Perkbox | Andy Murray, Seedrs | Workplace Culture |
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