Clera

Clera, founded by CEO Sebastian Scott and backed by Sequoia, Index Ventures, General Catalyst, Y Combinator, and a16z, is an AI-powered recruitment platform that connects job seekers with startup opportunities through direct introductions to hiring managers, bypassing traditional application processes. It starts with a two-minute profile conversation via WhatsApp, iMessage, or email to understand a candidate's preferences and dealbreakers, then uses an AI matching algorithm to surface relevant role opportunities and make direct, personalized introductions to hiring managers. Clera also provides negotiation support covering salary, equity, title, and start dates, and only reaches out to candidates when a suitable match emerges. It reports an average of 8 days to first interview and zero candidate ghosting. Clera is completely free for job seekers; companies pay Clera only upon a successful hire.