Pre-employment screening platform TestGorilla raises $10 million

Writing a CV is never a fun task. There’s that entire bucketful of skills you possess, but how to put it all into words? Now imagine how fun it is for recruiters to sift through the deluge of CVs they get on any given day for any number of positions? Toss in that good-old-friend of ours the global pandemic, and ladies and gentlemen, the 'traditional' methods of hiring have, as they say, been thrown out the window.

As organisations have tackled the remote-first quandary head-on, the new generation of recruitment software is starting to take shape, and one of those facets is the assessment and ranking of candidates. Amsterdam’s TestGorilla is aiming to be a leader in this brave new world by providing hiring managers with a set of tools to remotely gather data through relevant testing exercises including cognitive abilities, soft skills, specific job skills, culture fit, motivation, and language proficiency.

The firm has raised $10 million in seed funding in order to carry on with the goal of creating a comprehensive testing library to cover a wider range of job skills, culminating in more accurate data analysis and predictability of candidate success. Through its proprietary technology and methodology, by taking a blind, data-driven approach, TestGorilla is effectively removing unconscious bias.

“By developing our platform and growing our library of smart screening tests, we are making it easier for hiring managers – across industries and job roles – to make a fast, informed decision on a candidate based on the most important criteria,” comments co-founder Wouter Durville. “TestGorilla’s assessments highlight high-potential candidates, many of which they may not have been considered on the basis of their CV. It also puts an end to costly mis-hires.”

Launched in 2020, TestGorilla is already servicing over 1,500 firms, with some household names on its roster including the NHS, PepsiCo, Sony, and Bain & Company.

The $10 million funding round was led by Notion Capital and joined by Partech, and Next Play Ventures. A group of HRtech focused angel investors including Indeed co-founder Paul Forster, Peakon co-founder Phil Chambers, and Justworks co-founder Isaac Oates also participated in the raise.