The hiring process is changing fast, and the first person you speak to about a new job may no longer be human. AI recruiter Alex has secured $17 million in Series A funding to expand its platform that automates initial job interviews for employers.
Founded just 18 months ago, Alex has already gained traction with Fortune 100 companies, banks, national restaurant chains, and Big Four accounting firms. The startup’s voice AI conducts video and phone interviews with candidates shortly after they apply. According to co-founder Aaron Wang, Alex now handles thousands of interviews each day, giving recruiters more time to focus on building relationships and guiding hiring managers.
Wang, who previously worked at Facebook and also as a hedge fund quant, said the tool goes beyond simple screenings. It asks about background, salary expectations, and availability, delivering recruiters a shortlist of pre-qualified applicants. He believes this approach reveals far more about a candidate than a static résumé or LinkedIn profile.
Investors share that belief. Peak XV Partners led the $17 million round, joined by Y Combinator, Uncorrelated Ventures, and several Fortune 500 CHROs. The raise follows Alex’s $3 million seed round last year from 1984 Ventures.
The growing demand for AI-driven recruitment tools is clear. Startups like HeyMilo, ConverzAI, and Ribbon are all chasing the same opportunity: helping companies automate the time-consuming first stage of hiring. Investors see the trend as inevitable, especially as businesses look to cut costs while hiring at scale.
Alex’s long-term vision goes beyond speeding up interviews. The company aims to build a professional data set richer than LinkedIn by interviewing millions of job seekers. Each ten-minute conversation, Wang explained, provides insights into skills, personality, and preferences that static profiles cannot capture.
For now, Alex is focused on refining its AI recruiter to support employers with faster, smarter screening. The startup’s pitch is simple: let AI handle the repetitive interviews, so recruiters can spend their time with the candidates who truly matter.
