Queensland job-matching start-up Getahead raises $1.38 million for the seed round
Brisbane-based recruitment tech startup Getahead, which bills itself as “Tinder for jobs”, has stepped up $1.38 million in pre-seed funding
The round was led by Ezidebit founder Michael Dempsey’s investment fund, Pipeline Capital, backed by Di Bella Coffee founder Phil Di Bella.
Founder Sam McNamara launched Getahead last December with the goal of cutting the average time it takes to find a new hire from 25 days to just 25 minutes.
He plans to use the seed money to expand into the Melbourne, Sydney and Perth markets, triple the company’s headcount over the next 12 months and add more capabilities to the app-based platform. The American market is also on the to do list.
During the summer it hosted applications for over 1,500 job seekers in Brisbane, with over 1,100 applications in the first 24 hours after launch.
Companies such as Wyndham Hotel Group, Acai Brothers and Retail Prodigy Group, which runs stores for Nike, Samsung and Toms in Australia, have also joined Getahead.
McNamara initially focused on the retail and hospitality markets to match employees with employers based on their preferences for working hours, salary expectations, lifestyle, benefits and previous experience.
He explains that, like Tinder, the app uses a “swipe right” to match people so they don’t have to submit a cover letter or resume, while giving employers access to a pool of qualified candidates.
Once matched, they can also contact the candidate via direct message or video call, rather than a formal interview, saving both time and resources.
McNamara said the idea for Getahead was born out of his own pain points in finding a job during Covid, from fake advertisements to not knowing the salary when going to job interviews.
“The system has been broken for a long time. But our timing on the launch of Getahead couldn’t be better. We help employers find talent in an incredibly difficult recruitment market characterized by low unemployment,” he said.
“We save both them and their candidates time and effort, which is why our growth has exploded in recent months.”
“Our goal now is to maintain momentum, expand to other states and add more features to Getahead to save time for job seekers and employers.”
Lead investor Michael Dempsey said he believes Getahead has solved the hiring process for fast-hiring sectors.
“Pipeline Capital specifically targets founders who have worked in an industry, got frustrated with a problem or process and decided to do something about it. For example, Ezidebit was founded from my experience as a business owner chasing customers for payments,” he said.
“Similarly, his experience in recruiting left Sam frustrated with the time and tedious process of applying and reviewing an applicant. His solution is Getahead, which allows an employee and employer to connect with each other within seconds.”
Phil Di Bella said the startup is solving a problem it has faced for decades.
“Finding the right people for the right job sounds deceptively simple, but in practice it is time consuming and expensive as it can cost companies up to $500 per job opening to recruit a new team member,” he said.
“Getahead not only speeds up what is a painful process for managers, it also saves companies money. All with an eloquent, technology-driven solution that aligns with how Australians already use their phones.”
