Frontline hiring processes receiving a significant update as startup Kiku secures €4M in seed funding, poised to revolutionize the industry with artificial intelligence.
In an innovative move to address the challenges of hiring for mobile-first, deskless workforces, the AI-powered recruitment platform Kiku has secured €4 million in seed funding. Led by Cherry Ventures, with additional backing from Yellow, the VC fund co-founded by Glovo founder Oscar Pierre, the funding round also saw participation from notable angel investors such as Fredrik Hjelm and Felipe Navio [1].
At the heart of Kiku's platform is "Sara," a conversational AI agent that conducts thousands of structured interviews weekly. Designed to be natural, empathetic, and accessible, Sara allows candidates to ask questions and receive instant feedback in real-time, creating a human-like and engaging hiring experience without delays or bias [1]. This approach ensures candidates are assessed solely on merit, free from bias related to gender, age, ethnicity, or other identifiers, which is crucial for inclusion in frontline and deskless workforce sectors [1].
Kiku aims to redefine hiring at scale by enabling better outcomes for both companies and candidates. By automating and streamlining the entire recruitment lifecycle — from sourcing and screening to interviews and reference checks — Kiku enables companies to fill roles in days instead of weeks, significantly reducing recruiter workload and saving over 15 hours per role [1]. Companies benefit from faster decision-making, stronger talent pipelines, and higher candidate satisfaction, reported at 93% [1].
The platform is designed for a mobile-first, often deskless workforce and addresses the shortcomings of traditional hiring platforms in a rapidly changing market. Candidates can apply via a simple voice or chat conversation with Kiku's purpose-built AI agent, removing the friction of forms and pre-recorded videos [1]. Kiku integrates smoothly with existing ATS systems or functions as a powerful standalone solution [1].
Sophia Bendz, Partner at Cherry Ventures, believes Kiku will define the category for AI in frontline recruitment. "Kiku's innovative approach to hiring is set to revolutionize the way essential deskless workers find employment, making hiring faster, fairer, and more efficient," she said [1].
Founded by Eric André (CEO) and Rasmus Andersen (CTO), both experienced product and engineering leaders, Kiku offers a bias-free, multilingual, and mobile-native experience. The funding will be used for product development, team expansion, market launch, and brand development [2].
As workforce demands shift and AI adoption grows, Kiku enables companies to lead, not lag behind. The platform cuts cost-per-hire by up to 80 per cent and speeds up time-to-fill, making it a game-changer for businesses looking to streamline their hiring processes and stay competitive in today's fast-paced job market [3].
References: [1] Kiku. (2023). Press Release: Kiku raises €4 million in seed funding to revolutionize hiring for mobile-first workforces. Retrieved from [https://www.kikurecruit.com/press-releases/kiku-raises-4-million-in-seed-funding-to-revolutionize-hiring-for-mobile-first-workforces] [2] Kiku. (2023). About Kiku. Retrieved from [https://www.kikurecruit.com/about] [3] Kiku. (2023). Benefits of Kiku. Retrieved from [https://www.kikurecruit.com/benefits]
Artificial-intelligence, driven by Kiku's conversational AI agent named "Sara," is revolutionizing the hiring process by conducting structured interviews and providing instant feedback, ensuring a human-like, efficient, and unbiased experience for all candidates [1]. As Kiku aims to redefine hiring at scale, it leverages technology to automate the entire recruitment lifecycle, streamlining processes and enabling companies to fill roles faster, fairer, and more efficiently [1].
