Recruiting tech startup Boostie has raised a modest but strategic $500,000 seed round to fast-track product development and ramp up sales and marketing. The funding, led by Bullhorn Ventures with participation from Tim Glennie, Travis Arnold, and other strategic investors, aims to push automation deeper into one of recruiting’s most manual pain points: pre-recruiting marketing.
Turning ATS “Gold” into Hires
Founded in 2023 by Herefish alumni Travis Arnold, Kevin Jones, and Chris Dues, Boostie’s pitch is simple but sharp: staffing firms and in-house recruiting teams already sit on valuable candidate data in their ATS and websites—they just need the tools to activate it.
“This is all about acceleration,” said CEO Arnold. “Recruiting teams are sitting on gold in their ATS, but they just don’t have the tools to turn it into hires. This round lets us build faster, innovate faster, and help our customers hire faster.”
From Candidate Rediscovery to Fraud Detection
Boostie automates the marketing work that happens before recruiting begins, using a blend of automation and AI to rediscover candidates, re-engage applicants, and streamline application flows.
The results so far are promising:
-
28.7% of applicants flagged as bots or ineligible
-
36% new applicants rediscovered from existing ATS data
-
91.5% application completion rate with an average 63.7-second apply time
In an era when recruiters spend too much on job boards and too little on their own data, Boostie’s approach aligns with a growing shift toward “owned talent pipelines”—a move away from rented visibility on platforms like Indeed or LinkedIn.
Building an Automated Talent Funnel
With the new funding, Boostie is expanding its engineering team and doubling down on core areas like workflow automation, candidate engagement, conversion analytics, and fraud detection.
Its platform integrates directly with existing ATS systems and websites, automating job marketing, detecting fake applicants, and surfacing qualified talent ready for hire. The end goal? Give recruiting teams ownership of their entire talent funnel, not just the last mile.
A Small Round with Big Implications
While $500K may not seem headline-worthy next to the mega-rounds in HR tech, the round’s significance lies in momentum. Boostie’s founders have a proven track record—Herefish was acquired by Bullhorn, the global staffing software leader, in 2020. That connection likely positions Boostie for early credibility and a ready audience of Bullhorn customers looking for smarter automation.
As automation and AI continue to reshape recruiting—particularly amid tighter budgets and recruiter layoffs—Boostie’s “pre-recruiting” focus could give it an edge in helping teams do more with less. Expect to see more vendors racing to help firms reclaim their data and optimize every step of the talent funnel.
Join thousands of HR leaders who rely on HRTechEdge for the latest in workforce technology, AI-driven HR solutions, and strategic insights
