Insider Brief
- VeroSkills raised $5.3 million to scale its AI-driven hiring platform, which has already generated $15 million in contracted annual recurring revenue by connecting employers with millions of pre-screened blue-collar workers from underserved communities.
- The company addresses the widening labor shortage by delivering rapid, AI-powered placements, achieving retention rates two to three times higher than traditional staffing agencies.
- Investors highlight VeroSkills’ ability to staff small and mid-sized businesses at scale, interviewing candidates in 52 languages and unlocking a previously invisible workforce across the U.S., EU, and Canada.
PRESS RELEASE — VeroSkills — the AI hiring platform focused on solving the $1 trillion blue-collar labor shortage crisis — announced the close of a $5.3 million funding round led by Yonder Ventures, along with Circadian Venturesand Motivate Ventures, with participation from Colchuck and Tony Summerville, the founder of Fleetio. The funding allows VeroSkills to accelerate its rapid growth — the firm contracted $15 million in annual recurring revenue in the past six weeks based on its ability to connect employers with millions of pre-screened, ready-to-work candidates from immigrant, refugee, and underserved communities.
For every five workers who retire from blue-collar sectors, only two replace them, creating millions of unfilled jobs. The manufacturing industry alone currently has hundreds of thousands of positions already vacant — a shortfall projected to swell to many millions by the end of the decade.
“What staffing and recruitment agencies do in weeks and months, we do in days and hours, thanks to our AI-driven platform,” said Daniel Walsh, CEO and Founder of VeroSkills. “Given the severity of the labor crisis, there’s no time to waste. There are millions of excellent workers being overlooked by traditional recruiting methods, and VeroSkills has created an effective, first-of-its-kind platform that allows companies to confidently employ them. We’re built to infinitely scale, and I’m proud to work with our investors to reach our potential.”
VeroSkills’ workforce offers employers clear advantages in retention and reliability. Ninety-three percent of employers report retention rates two to three times higher among VeroSkills hires. All workers are fully authorized to work in the U.S., EU, or Canada from day one, streamlining onboarding and reducing administrative hurdles.
“VeroSkills represents the next generation of AI-first labor marketplaces capable of serving the long tail of small and medium-sized businesses that account for 46% of hiring in the United States. What wasn’t economically viable before, efficiently staffing these businesses at scale while interviewing candidates in 52 languages, is now possible with AI, unlocking millions of workers and employers who were previously invisible to each other,” said Colin Gardiner, Founding Partner at Yonder Ventures.
“Under Daniel’s leadership, the team is consistently achieving standout results through innovation in an industry historically slow to evolve. Their commitment to building sustainable employment solutions in labor-limited markets continues to resonate with all stakeholders,” said Mike Dowdle, Founding Partner at Circadian Ventures.
“VeroSkills has cracked the code on what traditional staffing agencies have struggled with for decades: speed, scale, and retention. Their AI-powered approach delivers measurable results in an industry ripe for disruption, and we’re excited to support their rapid growth trajectory,” said Lauren Deluca, Founding and Managing Partner at Motivate Ventures.
About VeroSkills
VeroSkills is an AI-powered staffing platform connecting blue-collar businesses to pre-screened, ready-to-work candidates from immigrant, refugee, and underserved communities. The company delivers 48-hour placements through proprietary AI screening technology and access to millions of people authorized to work in the U.S., EU, or Canada. Learn more at veroskills.com.
About Yonder Ventures
Yonder is an early-stage VC firm focused on investing in AI-native marketplaces that build new economies. The fund is led by Colin Gardiner, a marketplace geek and 3x marketplace operator who helped scale Outdoorsy to $3B+ in revenue. He is a go-to marketplace expert, having worked with 100+ marketplaces, and writes Take Rate, the world’s largest marketplace newsletter. For further information, visit https://www.yonder.vc/
About Circadian Ventures
Circadian Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in early-stage tech and tech-enabled businesses. Circadian Ventures actively partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to build enduring businesses. Based in Atlanta, the firm has investments in various sectors across the United States. For further information, visit www.circadian.vc
About Motivate Ventures
Motivate is a Chicago-based VC firm with a deep commitment to providing institutional capital and support at the earliest stages. Launched by entrepreneurs with backgrounds in fintech and enterprise software, the Motivate team invests in pre-seed and seed stage companies across the US and Canada. The singular vision is to find and empower the most promising founders building tomorrow’s greatest companies. For further information, visit https://motivate.vc/
