The Bengaluru-based startup said that it plans to utilise the fresh capital to bolster its product portfolio, ramp up go-to-market operations, and expand footprint
Currently operating with a 15-member team, the startup claims to be eyeing a 5X jump in annual recurring revenue (ARR) over the next 12-18 months
Founded in 2024, HireBound is an AI-powered recruitment platform that automates the process of candidate engagement, across sourcing, screening and evaluation
HR tech startup HireBound has raised $2 Mn (₹18.2 Cr) in a Seed funding round led by Kalaari Capital, with participation from Antler, Infinyte Club, and CareerNet.
In a statement, the Bengaluru-based startup said that it plans to utilise the fresh capital to bolster its product portfolio, ramp up go-to-market operations, and expand footprint.
Elaborating on this, HireBound said the funding will be deployed to further develop its agentic AI engine that oversees parts of the recruiting lifecycle. A chunk of the capital will be utilised to deepen integrations with existing applicant tracking systems and HRMS (human resource management system) platforms.
Some of the capital will also be allocated to ramp up hiring across sales, delivery and engineering teams.
Founded in 2024 by former LinkedIn executive Sharad Vij and Kumar Vikramaditya, HireBound is an AI-powered recruitment platform that automates the process of candidate engagement, across sourcing, screening and evaluation. The startup currently offers its services to staffing firms and enterprise talent teams, based in the US and India.
“At HireBound, we build a sourcing agent, screening agent, evaluation agent, where these agents can interact with candidates on voice calls, send them WhatsApp updates, text messages and emails. And essentially, derive a lot of detailed context if the candidate is relevant for the role,” Vikramaditya told Inc42.
Currently operating with a 15-member team, the startup claims to be eyeing a 5X jump in annual recurring revenue (ARR) over the next 12-18 months. The startup competes with the likes of Babblebots, BetterPlace, GetWork, among others, in the burgeoning HR tech market in India.
HireBound is eyeing a piece of the Indian HR tech ecosystem, which is projected to become a $2.3 Bn opportunity by 2034 as enterprises seek AI tools to shrink the time consumed during the recruitment process. As a result, investors are lining up for the segment too.
In December 2025, recruitment platform WorkIndia raised INR 97 Cr in its Series B round led by Avishkaar Capital. Last March, HR tech unicorn DarwinBox also bagged $140 Mn in a round co-led by Partners Group and KKR.