Toronto, ON (November 29th, 2012) - Toronto-based video interview company Kira Talent is pleased to announce that it has closed a seed capital round that it needs to build on the massive early traction it has made in disrupting the recruiting process.
"We're incredibly excited about this milestone" Kira Talent CEO and co-founder Emilie Cushman said. “It demonstrates a confidence in our ability to truly disrupt the traditional recruiting process with the addition of a cloud-based video screening solution which provides greater insights to hiring mangers about their candidates earlier in the recruiting process.”
Relay Ventures and a group of prominent business leaders led this financing round. Kira Talent was founded in March 2012 as part of The Next 36 incubator program and was named the Most Outstanding Venture within the 2012 cohort.
Additional investors include Roger Martin (Dean of the Rotman School of Management, Board member of: Thomas Reuters Corporation; Research In Motion; and The Skoll Foundation), Tony Lacavera (Chairman and CEO of Globalive/Wind Mobile) and David Shaw (Founder and CEO of Knightsbridge Human Capital).
Konrad Listwan-Ciesielski, CTO and co-founder of Kira Talent, commented that it was an honour to receive this funding from "such a renowned group of investors who will help shape our strategy and create a transformational platform for growth."
“It is amazing how much progress Kira Talent has made in such a short time, and they are poised to lead this market,” John Kelleher, Kira Talent Board Chair and RHB Group L.P President CEO said. In just a few months, Kira Talent has secured contracts with The Richard Ivey School of Business, Rotman School of Management, and Laurier MBA.
"Here at Kira Talent, we've been very product focused since day one and our core value proposition of simple & easy-to-use has already paid off: we get hiring teams up and running in a matter of minutes. It's now time to expand our product, grow our management team, and give our customers more of what they’ve been asking for,” added Konrad.
About Kira Talent
Kira Talent is an award winning online interviewing platform that allows managers and recruiters to record video questions and responses and to embed them in their online application process vis a vis any connected device. After candidates open the application they view the questions and reply back through video. These short videos are sent back to employers who can rate, share and compare the incoming pool of candidates within the company.
Kira Talent is a Toronto-based technology start-up and was named the Most Outstanding Venture within 2012 cohort of The Next 36: Canada’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Initiative. The goal of The Next 36 is to help launch the careers of Canada’s most promising and innovative undergraduates. Emilie Cushman and Konrad Listwan-Ciesielski are leading examples of young Canadian entrepreneurism and have been some of Canada’s youngest entrepreneurs to receive venture funding.
About Relay Ventures
Relay Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm that invests in passionate entrepreneurs disrupting and creating new markets through mobile technologies. Unlike other funds, Relay focuses on software for mobile devices and the connected Internet, creating an unparalleled set of networks and resources that tangibly help founders build world-class companies. With offices in Menlo Park and Toronto, the firm is active throughout North America. For additional information, visit www.relayventures.com.
Press Contact
Emilie Cushman
CEO & Co-Founder
Email: emilie@kiratalent.com
Phone: +1 (647) 390-7434
Website: www.kiratalent.com