Madrid-based startup Shakers lands €14M to scale its AI-powered platform for Europe’s tech freelancers

Companies are under growing pressure to stay agile, but hiring top-tier tech talent remains one of their biggest bottlenecks. Traditional outsourcing hasn’t kept up. Long lead times, outdated processes, and rigid contracts make it hard for businesses to experiment, adapt, or move fast. At the same time, a new generation of highly-skilled freelancers is demanding flexibility, autonomy, and meaningful work—without being locked into corporate structures.

Madrid-based Shakers is betting that the future belongs to hybrid teams built on demand. The startup, which connects companies with vetted tech freelancers and AI agents, just secured a €14 million Series A round to scale its AI-driven platform across Europe. The round was led by Partech, with backing from KFund, Brighteye Ventures, Athos Capital, and Wayra.

With €14M in New Funding, Shakers Wants to Replace IT Outsourcing with Agile Freelance Teams

Shakers’ platform helps companies build fully-assembled teams in minutes—sourced, vetted, and ready to work. Using more than 1,000 data points, its AI matches freelancers not just by skills, but by experience and team fit. That means no initial interviews, no technical assessments, and fewer delays getting projects off the ground.

Shakers was founded in Madrid in 2021 by four serial entrepreneurs — Héctor Mata (CEO), Nico de Luis (COO), Adrián de Pedro (CPO), and Jaime Castillo (CRO). The team brings a mix of AI expertise, software development chops, and plenty of real-world experience on both sides of the freelance equation — as talent and as hiring managers.

Since launching in 2021, the company has onboarded more than 10,000 freelancers and works with over 450 companies, including heavyweights like Microsoft, Inditex, and Telefónica. Revenue has jumped more than 6x in the past year, with 60% of it coming from returning customers.

As co-founder and CEO Héctor Mata puts it, “The convergence of AI and independent talent is not a trend — it’s a new operating model. Demand for specialised technical talent is soaring, but the traditional outsourcing model hasn’t evolved in decades. With Shakers, we are setting a new standard for hiring: our platform acts as the new operating system for performance-driven freelancers — giving them the same benefits as traditional roles, while offering companies the agility to innovate faster.”

That “Freelancer OS” includes features often reserved for full-time roles, such as banking, insurance, and productivity tools, all integrated into the platform. The goal is to give freelancers the freedom and flexibility they want, with the support and infrastructure they often miss out on.

The startup’s growth comes as Europe’s IT outsourcing market is shifting. Forecasts predict the sector will grow from €180 billion to over €280 billion by 2030, driven by companies looking for more flexibility and high-skill contract talent. Shakers wants to become the go-to operating system for that shift.

The new funding will be used to accelerate expansion across Europe, double the team, and roll out deeper AI integrations to help freelancers and businesses work more seamlessly together. By 2027, the company expects to have orchestrated over 10,000 hybrid projects.

Simone Riva, Senior Principal at Partech, said: “At Partech, we believe that while AI is reshaping the way we work, exceptional talent will always be at the heart of the future of work. From our very first conversation, it was clear the Shakers team is building something special — a fast, intuitive platform tailored to the flexible workforce of tomorrow. They’re redefining how companies find, hire, and collaborate with top talent. We’re proud to back this visionary team and are excited to support them as they scale across Spain, Europe, and beyond.”

With both AI and freelance work accelerating across industries, Shakers is positioning itself to be the infrastructure layer behind a new way of working—faster, smarter, and more flexible by design.