Local firm JobShakers scores Mid-America Angel dollars
May 5, 2016 | Bobby Burch
JobShakers, a tech startup offering employee referral software, recently raised local capital to fuel its development and sales channels.
The Shawnee Mission-based company announced Thursday that it closed on a $265,000 seed investment from the Mid-America Angels Investment Network. The new injection of funds brings JobShakers’ total amount raised to $465,000.
“Having completed several months of beta testing with major Kansas City employers, our system is positioned for market rollout,” JobShakers CEO Kevin Fryer said in a release. “With this funding, we will expand our customer support capacity and our sales team.”
The company created an iOS and Android app that allows friends, families and colleagues to make referrals directly from their smartphones using their contact lists. The platform presents job postings alongside a user’s contact list, enabling quick referrals via a “drag-and-drop” method.
Founded in 2014, JobShakers is now pushing its product throughout the Midwest. The company targets referrals for skilled hourly workers, which represents nearly 60 percent of the U.S. workforce, Fryer said. Employers pay for the software is based on a per-referred-candidate-hired basis.
Fryer is also managing partner of SparkLabKC, a Kansas City business accelerator whose future is now uncertain as it looks for new management.
George Hansen, executive director of the Mid-America Angels Investment Network, said that his organization is thrilled to be among the first Kansas City investors to back JobShakers. Hansen added that the startup’s management team was another selling point when eyeing an investment.
“When making the decision to invest in an early-stage company, a balanced and experienced management team is often among our most important criteria,” Hansen said in a release. “The diversity and depth of experience on the JobShakers team was impressive and a key factor in our decision to invest in the success and growth of this business.”
MAA is an angel investor network focused startups in the Kansas and Missouri region. Since 2006, the firm has made 70 investments totaling over $18 million.
Featured Business
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
End-of-life care platform wins top UMKC prize in young startup’s first-ever pitch competition
Serving as someone’s informal caregiver is a rewarding experience, but the pressure of being fully responsible for taking care of a loved one can take a toll on a person physically and mentally, acknowledged Nicole Staab and Rachel Blankenship. Through their startup, Rings of Care KC, they are providing support and resources for informal caregivers…
Brewkery closing its North KC kombucha taproom as ‘Lucky Elixir’ production heats up
Five years after opening its popular North Kansas City hot spot, the Brewkery — home of Lucky Elixir Kombucha — is moving and closing its taproom, co-founder Amy Goldman shared. With its lease about to end and rent increasing substantially, Goldman said, the move makes sense for the growing kombucha business. Although it’s bittersweet to…
Variety entertainer’s magic trick: Knowing whether his audience wants a clown (or Ruby in drag)
Dennis Porter’s success as a performer is scripted by the North Kansas City native’s talent at reading a room — adapting his jokes and wide variety of entertainment styles to fit the audience. If he’s doing it right, one of Porter’s characters brings a healthy grin to their happy faces, he said. “I am over-blessed…
Broadband internet is no longer a luxury; meet a group bringing access to KC’s most underserved children, families
Editor’s note: The following is the second in a series of stories focused on digital inclusion efforts in Kansas City, and is presented by Google Fiber. Those seeking change and equity in a rapidly evolving world of tech access must go directly to the people in need if they wish to truly eradicate the digital…