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
KC’s own $160M ‘urban oasis’ park: Private funders greenlit to put a 5.5-acre lid over I-670
Private backers have put up critical funding needed to begin reimagining the South Loop Link — bringing the long-dreamed about project closer to reality than ever before. Civic leaders from across the region gathered Friday to announce a verbal commitment from funders and local property owners — including Lowes’ Hotel & Co. — who will finance the engineering…
Horizon event set for in-person return, amplifying region’s growth while pushing for more equity
Kansas City is on the rise — and organizers of KC Rising’s annual Horizon event want curious citizens to come see such growth for themselves. “Horizon is a diverse gathering that isn’t tied to a single organization but owned by the region. … It is a celebration of all of us,” said Meryl Dillman, program manager,…
FanThreeSixty teams with national champs, turning data into actionable plays to boost revenue, KU fan experience
Another national championship title isn’t the only banner win the University of Kansas Athletics is adding to its rafters this year. Weeks after scoring the NCAA men’s basketball title, the university has partnered with Kansas City-dunked FanThreeSixty to better connect with its fanbase in seasons to come. “By partnering with FanThreeSixty, not only will Kansas…
Small biz could be solution to supply chain woes, says Children’s Mercy CEO; Why shared economic prosperity catalyzes innovation
Editor’s note: The following story was sponsored by KC Rising, a regional initiative to help Kansas City grow faster and more intentionally, as part of a campaign to promote its CEO-to-CEO Challenge on supplier diversity. It’s all about the ripple effect of outcomes, said Paul Kempinski, diagnosing the community health potential (and business case) for supplier diversity efforts. Corporate…