PakkaProfile Psychometrics Pvt Ltd, which operates a game-based gig workforce recruitment and assessment platform, has raised funding in a seed round led by early-stage investment syndicate Java Capital.
Bengaluru-based Java was set up by former Kalaari Capital executive and angel investor Vinod Shankar, with Bhargavi V and Karteek Pulapaka. It makes investments in sectors such as financial-technology, health-technology, and software-as-a-service (SaaS).
Other participants in this round include LetsVenture and Akshay Kothari, chief operating officer of San Francisco-based workflow collaboration platform Notion, Bengaluru-based PakkaProfile said in a statement.
The company did not disclose the financial details of the transaction. It previously raised capital as part of a pre-seed exercise from Entrepreneur First, it added.
PakkaProfile was set up in May last year by Nagmanjunath Shivakumar and Savio Sebastian.
The startup says its platform helps companies requiring gig, blue-, and grey-collared workers make unbiased and informed decisions in hiring personnel by using psychometric games, facial and speech recognition technology, and deep learning.
“Assessing the blue-collared and gig workforce has remained an Achilles heel for employers. This problem is more pronounced now with the booming gig workforce,” Java Capital partner Bhargavi V said.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Shivakumar is an alumnus of the Indian School of Business and has worked with companies including LinkedIn, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, and Global Talent Track.
Sebastian, meanwhile, has studied at the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore and has worked with firms including SAP Labs, Pixelmetrix, and Techtel. Prior to setting up PakkaProfile, he worked as a developer with Commune Labs.
PakkaProfile is among the few startups focussed on gig economy workforce personnel that have raised capital in recent months.
In June, startup incubator and accelerator Venture Catalysts invested in blue-collar worker-focussed employment and recruitment platform MyKaam. The company uses a video-based platform to connect blue-collar workers with local recruiters.
In September last year, student-focussed GigIndia raised funding from a clutch of technology industry veterans including former Tata Consultancy Services chief executive S Ramadorai.
