en.Wedoany.com Reported - Stockholm-based startup Fika Jobs has launched a video-based recruitment platform that combines artificial intelligence interview agents with short video profiles, aiming to transform the traditional hiring process. The company announced on Tuesday that it had secured $4 million in pre-seed funding, which will be used for platform development and preparation for a broader public launch later this year.
Traditional recruitment processes are often inefficient and opaque, with job seekers spending significant time writing applications and cover letters, only to receive unclear responses. The emergence of generative AI has further complicated the situation, as many companies rely on automated screening systems to handle a flood of applications. Fika Jobs offers a different approach: instead of relying solely on resumes, job seekers complete AI-driven interviews designed to showcase their personality and communication skills. The process begins by linking a LinkedIn profile, after which Fika's AI reviews the candidate's background and generates personalized interview questions. Candidates then engage in a roughly 10-minute video interview with an AI agent currently powered by Google's Gemini model. Upon completion, Fika automatically converts responses into short video clips and compiles them into a profile. Rather than reapplying for each new position, job seekers maintain an active profile that companies can discover and review when new roles arise.
The idea for Fika Jobs originated from the experience of founders Jakob Dubois (CEO) and Alexander Dubois (CTO) while building their previous startup. Jakob Dubois noted that during hiring, they nearly missed a candidate whose resume was unremarkable, but after a conversation, their perseverance, drive, and ambition deeply impressed the team. This experience convinced the founders that many traits valued by companies are difficult to capture on paper. Unlike most competitors focused on helping companies screen and match candidates—such as Alex, Maki, and Mercor—Fika builds a platform where job seekers maintain video profiles, and companies browse a pool of individuals who have been interviewed and assessed by AI. This approach is considered valuable for early-career professionals and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds, whose potential may not be evident from a resume. If successful, Fika Jobs could help companies evaluate communication skills and cultural fit early in the hiring process.
Nevertheless, video profiles also introduce bias risks that need attention. When companies can see a candidate's race, age, gender, appearance, and accent before assessing qualifications, it may open the door to discrimination, whereas resumes can at least partially obscure such information. There is a reason some companies have turned to blind resume screening processes, and Fika Jobs must address this challenge to avoid exacerbating unfairness in hiring. The platform plans to open early access to job seekers this week, with a broader public launch scheduled for autumn this year. The company will initially focus on Sweden before expanding internationally. Currently, the Fika team is small, with expectations to reach around 10 employees by year-end. Over 100 companies have joined the waitlist, though the founders declined to disclose their identities. Additionally, more than 50 companies have tested the platform, including Plenty Labs, SICS.ai, Kognity, and Rebtel. The platform is free for job seekers, and companies pay no upfront fees, but Fika charges 10% of the candidate's first-year salary upon successful placement, lower than the 20% to 30% placement fees typically charged by traditional recruiters and headhunters. This pre-seed funding round was led by Luminar Ventures, with participation from Alliance VC and King founders Sebastian Knutsson and Riccardo Zacconi, the latter known for creating the mobile game Candy Crush Saga.
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