Countries like the UK, France, and Germany also boast impressive tech companies in this field, with some even reaching valuations exceeding $1 billion.
Here's a list of some of the most relevant European AI startups currently revolutionizing the HR sector:
Payfit
The Paris-based Payfit uses artificial intelligence and machine learning within its software to automate HR processes for small and medium-sized businesses, covering payroll, absences, expenses, and vacations. Founded in 2015 by Firmin Zocchetto, Florian Fournier, and Ghislain de Fontenay, Payfit secured €254 million in funding in January 2022, led by General Atlantic, raising its valuation to €1.82 billion and making it France's first unicorn.
HeyJobs
A Berlin-based cloud recruitment platform for passive candidates, HeyJobs allows employers to post job ads on social media platforms (Facebook, X, Instagram), job boards, and classified portals. Its machine learning algorithm matches job postings with candidates' skills and helps HR professionals analyze their recruitment channels' performance. Active since 2016, HeyJobs has raised $59 million, with its latest Series B round securing $47 million in March 2022.
JobCannon
Founded in Ukraine but headquartered in London, JobCannon leverages AI to simplify job searching and talent acquisition by connecting employers with ideal candidates based on their skills and capabilities. Established in October 2022, JobCannon acquired the Ukrainian company Adsme in April to "transform job recruitment." The integration is expected to significantly enhance their search and matching algorithms. With the merger, Adsme's co-founder Viktor Levchenko became JobCannon's CTO.
Arctic Shores
A London-based HR tech startup with a significant market presence, Arctic Shores was founded in 2013. It has raised $18.8 million and offers an AI and gamification-based psychometric assessment platform. Employers can register, invite employees for assessments, and analyze behaviors. The platform's algorithms provide insights and instant feedback, available through a subscription model for HR professionals.
HireAra
A spin-off from intelligent automation company DigiBlu, HireAra was launched in April 2022. It offers an AI-powered candidate presentation platform for staffing agencies that integrates with existing workflows, helping recruiters highlight their brand and candidates to clients quickly and efficiently. HireAra secured €527,000 in initial funding in January. The company is based in London, and its CEO is Thomas Vose.
Talentware
An HR tech startup from Milan, Talentware uses AI to empower companies to engage, develop, and retain talent through a skills-based approach. Its technology analyzes employees' skills, interests, and job preferences to automatically map out potential career paths and identify skill gaps for development opportunities. Talentware aims to build a future-ready workforce and transform static and manual talent management processes using AI. In March, it closed a funding round worth €800,000.
Velents Technologies
A German startup offering a data-driven hiring platform based on AI, Velents functions as a hybrid between an applicant tracking system and evaluation software. It includes advanced assessment tools like an AI screening assistant, personality evaluation, automated video interviews, and a recruitment chatbot. Founded in August 2020 and headquartered in Hamburg, Velents is led by CEO Mohamed Gaber.
Koios
Koios employs voice-driven AI to gather insights into candidates' personalities, aiding HR departments and managers. It requires an audio sample of at least 90 seconds from an employee or candidate. Based in London, Koios raised $550,000 in an initial funding round in September last year. The company was founded by former Spotify and Snap recruiter Tom Sherwood, talent manager Alex Lewis, and data scientist Martin Lukac.
Mintd
A young Berlin-based company founded in 2023, Mintd aims to break barriers, overcome biases, and bring diversity into the workplace. Its CEO is Emmelie König. Mintd features an end-to-end recruitment platform with the first employee retention algorithm that matches top international female STEM talents with organizations.
Harriet
A British startup offering the first AI tool that provides a complete service to HR teams by scanning and cleaning company documentation using AI. The software acts as a personal HR assistant for each employee, understanding what exists, what is missing, and where there is contradictory or duplicate information. Powered by a large language model with multiple intertwined and cross-verified AIs, Harriet is accessible via Slack and connects to other interfaces like Google Drive, Bamboo HR, Notion, HiBob, and Zapier.
Alfred
A Portuguese startup focused on talent retention, Alfred offers companies unique gamified solutions backed by a cloud-based AI platform. It aims to improve short- and long-term employee engagement and business outcomes. Founded in 2019, Alfred is based in Lisbon and led by CEO Tiago Perdigão. The company has worked with major clients like Worten, Adidas, Vodafone, and Sonae.
