Sense. , an HR tech startup that helps some of the world's largest recruitment agencies find and hire talent, has raised its valuation to $500 million in a new funding round.
The San Francisco-based startup has raised $50 million in its Series D, led by SoftBank. The multiple increase in valuation comes just six months after Sense. close your round Serie C.
Sense. focuses on serving blue-collar workers and helps companies manage the entire talent lifecycle across the business.
Hiring knowledge workers can take up to six months, but in "this world, where you hire a warehouse packer, companies need to bring you in on the day," explained Anil Dharni, co-founder and CEO of Sense. .
The vast majority of professional social media and recruitment platforms are currently designed to serve knowledge workers, "but for people like Uber drivers and Amazon warehouse workers, these platforms are not relevant," he added.
The startup, which says it uses automation, artificial intelligence and personalization in its selection processes, has courted more than 600 customers, including Amazon, Sears, Vaco and Kenny, who use the platform. Sense. to facilitate your selection and hiring process.
Citing their internal figures, Sense. said its clients see an average 263% increase in the number of candidates they can screen using the platform and reduce the time it takes to fill positions by up to 81%.
“Our investors not only value the platform as a market share need for today's candidate-focused talent, but also an accelerator as the future of work is reshaped,” he said.
Sense. offers a number of services including chatbots that Dharni said help companies eliminate time in their hiring practices.
In the last year and a half, the startup's platform has also been used to hire healthcare professionals.
Dharni had the idea to launch Sense. after facing challenges recruiting talent at his previous firms. He previously co-founded the gaming firm Funzio, which was acquired by GREE for $210 million.
“We realized that talent is what makes or breaks a company. If you can't attract the right people, your business won't be successful. It doesn't matter what your TAM [total potential market] or business model is,” she added.
"It was upon detecting this challenge that we decided that the next start-up that we are going to do will be about resolving the talent space."
Dharni said that Sense sees a $200 billion opportunity that remains largely unexplored.
Sense. it has also doubled its revenue and staff in the last year. The startup now plans to expand offerings from Sense. in several markets, including Western Europe.
“We believe that the critical nature of the platform Sense. to enable enterprise clients to find and hire quality talent faster has been clear. As it expands both domestically and globally, we have no doubt in its ability to positively transform the way companies build great teams and compete in the marketplace,” said Sumer Juneja, managing partner at SoftBank.
