Karen HR, a Toronto-based AI company with a recruiting software tool for human resources workers, has been acquired by global talent acquisition company, Alexander Mann Solutions. The purchase price of the deal was not disclosed.
“Our collective approach to intelligent services will further enhance the comprehensive portfolio Alexander Mann Solutions has to offer.”
– Noel Webb
Karen’s solution, launched in 2017 by CEO Noel Webb and CTO David Vradenburg, aims to enhance the recruitment process and boost candidate engagement. It claims it can do this by ranking hundreds of resumes against various jobs in seconds, and with the support of artificial intelligence, and by using a shortlisting and conversion tool to allow hirers to gain deeper insight into a candidate and their suitability for the job. The company has undergone two rounds of funding, and has seen investments from Next AI, TriColour Venture Fund, Ontario Centres of Excellence, and other private investors.
“The Karen HR team is incredibly excited to join Alexander Mann Solutions, the number one global recruitment process outsourcing provider, leading the way in talent acquisition and management, outsourcing and consulting,” said Noel Webb, co-founder of Karen HR. “Our collective approach to intelligent services will further enhance the comprehensive portfolio Alexander Mann Solutions has to offer.”
Karen’s platform also engages candidates in conversation, via text chat or SMS, to follow up with pre-screening, providing answers to frequently asked questions and to keep candidates informed on the status of an application.
RELATED: ApplyBoard raises $55 million CAD Series B for international student recruitment platform
“Talent acquisition is a slow and complicated aspect of business. Companies ranging in size from small to enterprise, face a significant challenge finding employees that are both qualified and share common values,” Webb told BetaKit.
“Resume review and pre-screening consume most of a recruiter’s time. Candidates that are overlooked, qualified or not, feel as though they have folded their resume into a paper plane and thrown it into a black hole, never to be heard from again. The multi-faceted Karen AI solution was developed to counteract these challenges.”
Alexander Mann said the acquisition will improve the firm’s global engineering capabilities, with teams now based in both Canada and Poland, and supports the company’s growth plans in the Americas. Last year, Alexander Mann was acquired by OMERS Private Equity for $1.4 billion CAD ($1.1 billion USD).
“Whilst we have previously built and successfully deployed RPA and AI capabilities into our existing client solutions it is crucial that we are continually innovating and investing in technical expertise,” said Rosaleen Blair, founder and CEO of Alexander Mann Solutions. “Alongside the expertise and capabilities that our valued technology partners already deliver, this move will accelerate efficiencies for our existing clients and will enable the rapid launch of exciting new digital products within Alexander Mann Solutions.”
Image courtesy Unsplash