Let’s face it: the job application process is broken, especially in the tech startup ecosystem. On the hunt for the ideal role, a candidate has to send tens or even hundreds of personalised applications for individual roles, many of which are not even screened by employers who are flooded with CVs.
Having supported over 470 of our portfolio startups in attracting and retaining high-calibre talent, we know that running a smooth recruitment process is a make-or-break factor in their success. We also know that highly skilled operators, especially in Europe, are in short supply, and their time is precious.
This is why we want to change how talent and fast-growing companies find each other and work together! Over the last few months, our team have been connecting with amazing talent on the job market and are consistently hearing the same story. They’ve applied to an endless number of roles, but they are not hearing back from the vast majority. Not only is this demoralising, it’s also very time consuming.
This was the inspiration behind launching the Seedcamp Talent Network (STN). A way for candidates to turn the tables in their favour, at the same time helping our founding teams identify high quality talent.
The STN is focused on supporting the founders of our earliest stage investments, where the teams are usually below 30 people. These founders are regularly on the lookout for smart, ambitious and hard-working talent to help take their business on the rollercoaster journey towards becoming a unicorn.
The roles within these businesses are usually broad, lack initial clarity, yet offer unparalleled exposure of running the business alongside faster progression than a typical role in tech. There is no better place to deliver tangible and immediate value.
Whether you’re an experienced executive looking to dive back into a start-up, or a graduate keen to explore the entrepreneurial world, we invite you to join the STN. The network is suitable for all levels of seniority, as long as you want to help build something from the very earliest stage.
Applying to the STN takes less than 10 minutes. You will get added to a select collective of talent, all open to work within an early-stage startup. Founders, backed by Seedcamp, get exclusive access to this talent pool and can request introductions to you at the click of a button. You never know, it might help you find your dream job without ever applying! Head over to seedcamp.com/talent for more details.
Software solutions catering to fast-growing companies’ needs – from payroll to cash flow management – are becoming ubiquitous. However, due to increased exposure to data compliance and cybersecurity risks, the adoption of new tools is lagging, forcing companies to resort to cumbersome manual workflows that restrict their growth.
Many of our portfolio founders have encountered this issue along their company-building journeys. This is why we are excited to back Cakewalk, a Berlin-based SaaS Identity & Access Management for SMBs solution that helps fast-growing companies to regain control over the software applications they use.
Founded in 2022 by a highly experienced and complementary trio formed by Johannes Keienburg, Gil Roeder (ex-Klarna), and Gonzalo Rubio Torrente (ex-Pleo), Cakewalk allows companies to adopt novel applications without loss of control.
The company emerges from stealth today after 12 months of running a closed beta with leading IT and Security teams. Its first product provides an easy-to-use, employee-friendly Access Management solution that enables companies to manage their employees’ access to SaaS applications while keeping their apps compliant and secure. With a design-first approach and highly intuitive UX, it supports both IT & Security teams and employees – the direct users of software applications.
Johannes Keienburg, CEO and Co-Founder of Cakewalk, highlights:
“We are living in an era of rapid software evolution. Cakewalk’s mission is to enable everyone in fast-moving companies to adopt the best software applications. And still stay in control over them.”
On why we invested, our Managing Partner Carlos Espinal, comments:
“Cakewalk’s SaaS Access Management solution solves a real pain for SMBs who are increasingly exposed to cybersecurity risks. With its design-first, employee-friendly approach, the platform enables companies to adopt innovative software solutions while preserving high security and compliance standards. We are excited to back Johannes, Gil, and Gonzalo, a highly experienced team with strong backgrounds in the automation, security, and data compliance space.”
We are excited to participate in Cakewalks’s €3 million funding round, led by Fly Ventures and joined by Possible Ventures and prominent Business Angels.
To successfully navigate today’s uncertain macroeconomic climate, companies of all sizes need real-time visibility and management of their financials and cash flow. Even more so, SMEs, who constitute the backbone of the economy and need to be financially resilient and self-reliant.
This is why we are excited to back Trezy, a Franco-Dutch fintech that provides an AI-driven suite of real-time financial forecasting tools for SMEs. The platform, based on 14 million accounting entries and two million cash transactions, simplifies financial management and supports business owners in overcoming challenges, allowing them to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape.
Founded in 2020 by Quentin Lacointa and Pierre Houdyer, Trezy aims to help 10 million small business owners around the world steer their companies toward success by making automated financial predictions and insights available and understandable regardless of financial literacy.
Currently present in France, the Netherlands, and the UK, Trezy provides real-time financial performance insights, predominantly through smart AI-based classification of bank transactions, receipts, and invoices. Engineered to be a balance of detail and abstraction, combining bank transaction data with accounting data, it provides financial analysis and financial health predictions.
“Smart Forecasts,” Trezy’s predictive tool, allows business owners to automatically project cash flow into the future. The automated onboarding enables new users to see their historical and future cash flows within 30 seconds.
Quentin Lacointa, Co-Founder and CEO at Trezy, emphasizes:
“69% of SME owners say they lose sleep at night because they worry about their cash flow. It’s their number one concern and with good reason. With inflation reducing margins, economic conditions hitting growth and financial processes becoming increasingly complicated there is a huge burden on SMEs. Our goal is to support business owners by giving them easy to access, real time financial insights that will help them to manage their cash flow and, regardless of their financial literacy, make better decisions.
“Accountancy software has really helped with day-to-day admin and compliance, but it doesn’t provide intelligent support for financial decision making. This is where Trezy comes in and with this funding we will be able to further develop our platform to help thousands of SMEs across Europe.”
To further automate the administrative tasks of data analysis and the presentation of insights, and especially to empower business owners to go from business questions to meaningful action more quickly, Trezy is currently working on leveraging generative AI technology.
On why we invested, our Principal Felix Martinez comments:
“Quentin and Pierre’s experiences as bootstrapped founders and operators give them an edge in going to market, which stood out to us. Their cutting-edge technology that automates the enrichment and categorisation of bank transactions sets them apart in the financial management landscape. Bank transactions, being the main source of financial data today, often lack crucial information for actionable insights.”
We are excited to co-lead Trezy’s Seed round of €3 million with Playfair, joined by Kima Ventures and Discovery Ventures.
Trezy plans to use the funding to support the growth of its customer base to 10,000 small businesses by the end of 2024, expand its product offering to include features such as generative-AI-enabled automation, and grow its teams in the Netherlands, France, and the UK.
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