Searchlight, founded in 2018 by Kerry and Anna Wang, builds talent intelligence software that uses behavioral reference data and prescriptive analytics to measure candidates' soft skills and predict fit. Its product includes one-click reference and candidate assessments that take under 15 minutes, a quality-of-hire dashboard, and a "people science engine" that connects pre-hire behavioral data to employee outcomes. Beta users in the last 12 months hired thousands of candidates and reported a 45% improvement in retention, 40% faster hire time, and hires who stayed on average 72% longer than through other approaches. The company works with more than 100 customers, including Udemy, Talkdesk and Zapier, and says its customer base more than tripled in the past year. Headcount has grown to 15 employees, up from four last year, and many customers are increasing their investment in the product. Searchlight plans to use new capital to double the team next year and to invest in product development and go-to-market. Searchlight is a San Francisco-based hiring software startup co-founded by Kerry and Anna Wang. It offers a SaaS platform that automates and improves the reference-check process, providing analysis of each candidate to make hiring committees more informed and less biased. The platform was developed in partnership with companies including Udemy, Wonderschool, and Snapdocs. Searchlight raised $2.5M in a seed funding round. The company intends to use the funds to continue expanding operations and its business reach. The reported investor group includes a lead investor, institutional participants, and a set of angel backers.

Total raised

$20M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Dec 2021