Athens-based talent intelligence startup Bryq raises $4M in Pre-Series A funding to help companies remove unconscious bias from hiring

Unconscious hiring bias affects job seekers more than most people think. A recent Yale University study found that employers still preferred to hire men over women. Another study conducted by the University of Chicago and MIT  found that applicants with white-sounding names received an astounding 50% more job interview requests. Now, one startup is on a mission to eliminate unconscious bias in the hiring process.

Enter Bryq, an Athens, Greece-based tech startup that offers a science-backed talent assessment platform to help companies and organizations remove bias from hiring and meet employer demand by enabling companies to hire for the specific skills required for each role.

Founded in 2014 in Greece by CEO Markellos Diorinos, The Bryq AI-based Talent Intelligence platform is built upon who people are and what they are capable of, not just what they have done professionally in the past.

To further grow its platform and build the future of work, Bryq announced today that it has raised a $4 million pre-Series A round, led by No Such Ventures along with existing investor Big Pi Ventures.

In 2021, Bryq’s revenue increased by more than 500%, leading the company to profitability. Bryq was also recognized by the Fosway Group as a Potential Challenger in the Talent Acquisition space and was the recipient of the HR Tech award for Best DEI-Enabling Solution.

As one of the leading providers of talent intelligence solutions, Bryq’s approach is based on a combination of validated psychometric science and objective performance data. This unique approach in talent management disregards resume parsing and focuses on who people are and what they are capable of doing. This allows companies to gain a competitive advantage in hiring, growing, and retaining the best possible talent.

Commenting on the funding, Reinder Lubbers, Partner at No Such Ventures, said: “The way we work has evolved much faster than anticipated in the past two years due to the global COVID pandemic and the shift towards remote work. This has resulted in phenomena like the Great Resignation and a new wave of unrest spreading throughout the talent markets. In this shifting landscape, companies are struggling to succeed with their current legacy tools.”

He also added, “Bryq stands out by providing a unique solution to today’s challenges, translating to tangible benefits for companies.”

“Talent is still the key ingredient for a company’s success while hiring, growing, and retaining talent remains a challenge for all,” said Markellos Diorinos, CEO of Bryq. “With this financing round, we will double-down on our investment in innovation, especially in the areas of combining psychometrics with performance data and using artificial intelligence to power solutions in hiring, internal mobility, career development, and employee retention.”

“Our customers – companies like EY, Teleperformance, Viva Wallet, Deliveroo, and SaltPay – have one thing in common: they understand the value of their current and future employees and they fully invest in them. Bryq enables them to shift the way they look at talent and achieve impressive results in increased performance and retention of their talent.”

Bryq is a remote-first organization with hubs in St. Petersburg (FL, US), Oxford (UK), and Athens (GR). From hiring to retiring, Bryq is able to help companies make faster and smarter talent management decisions. By combining psychometrics with existing HR data (such as performance, organization, etc.), Bryq provides insights to support decisions in hiring, growing, and retaining talent.