Recruiters have long relied on machine learning to identify potential candidates by scanning résumés and LinkedIn profiles for specific keywords. While this approach helps filter applicants, recruiters still need to go through each profile manually to find the ideal match for a position.
David Paffenholz (pictured left) and Ishan Gupta, who were just 22 and 19 at the time, saw that large language models could dramatically speed up and improve the process of finding talent. They created Juicebox, an AI-driven search tool that leverages natural language processing to review professional profiles, personal sites, and other public data to pinpoint top candidates.
After participating in the Y Combinator accelerator in the summer of 2022, Paffenholz and Gupta dedicated a few more years to perfecting their platform. By late 2023, their AI search engine, PeopleGPT, was ready and quickly gained traction among a diverse customer base, including both startups and major companies such as Cognition, Ramp, and Perplexity.
In just a short time, the platform was serving over 2,500 clients and generating more than $10 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR).
On Thursday, Juicebox revealed it had secured $36 million in funding, with a $30 million Series A round led by Sequoia.
Sequoia partner David Cahn first heard about the company from a founder of an early-stage startup who mentioned using Juicebox for all recruitment needs. Cahn shared with TechCrunch that this founder managed to hire more than a dozen employees without the help of a professional recruiter, something that was previously quite challenging.
This enthusiastic endorsement sparked Cahn’s curiosity. Soon after, he discovered that Sequoia’s own in-house recruiter was also experimenting with Juicebox to support the firm’s hiring, which further increased his interest in the company’s potential.
When Cahn finally met with Paffenholz and Gupta, he found himself even more impressed.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a company with just four people reach 2,000 customers with such a small team,” Cahn remarked to TechCrunch.
Even though Juicebox has since brought on eight more team members, it continues to attract new clients without relying on a dedicated sales force.
One reason companies are turning to Juicebox is the critical need for rapid hiring as they compete to develop AI capabilities.
Juicebox’s search engine stands out because it can interpret candidate information in a way that closely resembles human reasoning.
“We help discover entirely new candidates who might not appear in traditional searches, since their profiles may lack the expected keywords or details,” Paffenholz explained to TechCrunch.
The tool is popular not only among small businesses without recruiting staff, but also with large corporate talent teams. By automating the search for candidates, it allows internal recruiters to spend more time building relationships with prospects.
After identifying suitable candidates, Juicebox’s agent can send emails and arrange initial interviews automatically.
While Juicebox is expanding rapidly, established talent acquisition firms like Eightfold are also incorporating AI-driven search into their products.
Nonetheless, Cahn believes that Paffenholz and Gupta have the potential to make Juicebox a must-have tool for every startup’s tech stack.
“We’ve backed several companies that have become standard tools for startups, like Stripe,” he said. “I believe Juicebox could become the go-to solution that every new company uses to make their first hires.”
