There’s timing, and then there is the place where Vektor finds itself at this very moment - having developed an idea and a platform and positioning it exactly where it’s needed most. Little could they have known, but the one-to-one support and mentorship for startup employees platform husband and wife team, Anna Buldakova and Victor Buldakov have assembled couldn’t have come at a better time.
While online learning and mentorship platforms can be found aplenty, Vektor’s creators believe they have a differentiator or two, with Cherry Ventures and Mosaic Ventures, alongside angel investors including Bradley Horowitz (Google), Deb Liu (Ancestry), Ujjwal Singh (Meta), Paul Forster (Indeed), Phil Chambers (Peakon), and many more agreeing. To the tune of $2.5 million in pre-seed funding.
“If you want to transition to a new career or learn a new skill, mentorship is the most effective way to reach that goal. But, due to the changing employment landscape, finding relevant mentors is harder than ever, especially for startup employees. With Vektor AI, you get direct professional guidance from someone who has been in your shoes and can help you get to where you want to go.”–Anna Buldakova, co-founder and CEO of Vektor AI
Hailing from backgrounds including time with Meta, WhatsApp, Zalando, N26, and Intercom, Anna and Victor Buldakov are not only building upon their own experiences but have added a cache of talent to the team stemming from former leads from Yandex, Klarna, Figma, and Uber.
Launching today at Slush, Vektor is targeting a wide swath of professionals and professions within the tech industry, ranging from advice and guidance on entrepreneurship to copywriting to product management. A short 4-question sign-up process, the platform factors in a number of professional variables, including employment background, education, professional goals, and skills, and matches users with a mentee willing to give their time, either for free or for a fee.
On the investment, Cherry Ventures’ Dinika Mahtani commented, “People’s careers matter. However, accessing, navigating, and creating meaningful career paths is not nearly as simple as it should be. Anna, Victor, and their growing and diverse team are changing this, helping mid-level and senior tech professionals gain more career clarity. With their AI-know how, science-guided program, and community-driven background and mindset, Vektor is set to make careers a journey, not a ladder.”
