Why MAYA invested in Start?

‍We invested in Start because we believe the founders have a unique vision of building a unified solution that has already garnered impressive traction in the wide-open Latin American market of entry-level recruiting. 

Explaining the problem in a nutshell:

Recruiters face inefficiencies in their hiring processes, while graduate students encounter challenges in securing desired job opportunities. According to INEP, Brazil has over 9 million graduate students across 2600+ universities, making it one of the largest education markets globally. Despite this, there is a significant mismatch between available talent and job opportunities.

Key Issues:

Underserved Students:

• Students lack effective support in the job hunting process.
• Recruiters struggle to reach and hire the right students.

Recruiters' Challenges:

• Rely on over 50 acquisition channels, causing fragmentation.
• Take more than 30 days to sign a contract before finding suitable candidates.
• Invest heavily in student-related events for employer branding.
• Face difficulties managing internship contracts due to bureaucratic hurdles.

Students' Job Market Experience:

• Over 80% of students are uncertain about the right career path.
• Students typically take more than 5 months to secure a job during graduation.
• Universities lack effective career-related services.

Universities' Limitations:

• Decentralized and ineffective career-related services.
• Over 85% of universities lack employability data.
• Universities spend over 100 hours per week managing contracts in different tools.

EdTech Opportunities:

• Over 7 million youths in the country not engaged in work or study.
• Brazil creates over 250k private universities yearly, with 75% being private.
• Universities are open to adopting new systems to enhance student management and brand awareness.

In response to these challenges, Start aims to act as the orchestrator of a three-sided marketplace, connecting students, recruiters, and universities. The product focuses on four main pillars: bureaucracy reduction, increased reach, brand awareness, and efficient employer branding.

For Recruiters:

• Customizable screening engine.
• Job posting with highlights and segmentation.
• Contract management tool.
• Events organization within the Start platform.

For Students:

• Access to all open job positions.
• Access to career fairs.
• Access to alumni, contents, and mentorship.

For Universities:

• Contract management tool for internship contracts.
• Measurement of employability post-graduation.

In essence, Start seeks to create a unified platform that addresses the challenges faced by all stakeholders in the recruitment ecosystem, providing tailored solutions. And this is just the beginning, the product universe for this acquired base is infinite.

Founders with Unique Vision

Start's founders—José André Nunes, Alexandre Bernat, and Gabriel Albuquerque—felt the pain firsthand in their experiences and involvements in career centers at the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA). They understand the challenges and have unique insights, navigating the ecosystem with unparalleled experience and establishing relationships with universities throughout Brazil - they are the right people to conquer this market.

Visionary Mission: Connecting Students, Recruiters, and Universities

Start redefines entry-level recruiting by bringing together students, recruiters, and universities. Start breaks down barriers through its student-centered marketplace, enabling efficient connections regardless of the candidate's university or background.

A Unified Solution: Beyond the Standard 

Start goes beyond the standard marketplace. With technology, data analytics, and artificial intelligence, it starts as contract management software, charging companies for hired positions. 

Impressive Initial Traction

Start has already achieved remarkable traction in its early months of operation, boasting a user base of over 60,000 students. Key partnerships with industry giants like Ambev, Stone, and Sanii demonstrate the team and pain's potential. The current revenue source, derived from contract management software and job postings, represents just the tip of the iceberg in the vast unexplored market.

Unexplored Territory in Latin America

Start draws inspiration from successful models like HandShake in the USA, which reached a valuation of $3.5 billion in its last funding round. The Latin American market presents immense and unexplored potential, especially when combined with founders who understand and speak the same language as the market.

Conclusion: Excitement for the Future

We are excited about the prospect of empowering the next generation of talents and transforming the landscape of early talent hiring in Latin America. Start's technology, coupled with founders who have demonstrated their fit in the market, positions it as a key player in the region's unexplored territory of early talent hiring. We look forward to the journey ahead with Start.