Japan-based part-time job placement service Timee has raised a ¥2bn ($18.5m) series B round from investors including internet companies Mixi and Nexyz Group and industrial warehouse builder Prologis.
Financial services firms SBI and Hida Shinkumi Bank have participated through SBI Investment and Hidashin Innovation Partners affiliates, while rail operator JR East has invested through its JR East Japan Start Up unit.
The round also featured restaurant management groups Kids Holdings, Gosso and WDI Corporation, as well as advisory firm CFO Consulting, logistics group SBS Holdings and store operations support service provider Transit General Office.
IMM Investment’s Japanese subsidiary, IMM Investment Group Japan, Jafco and several unnamed individuals completed the investor line-up.
Founded in 2017 as Taimee, the company has developed a mobile app that facilitates the hiring process without job applications or interviews. It says the service has been used by more than 2,000 companies including restaurants, retailers and offices, while more than 250,000 workers have registered on the platform.
Timee will use the series B funding to expand its presence in stores and companies lacking manpower, and to improve its marketing and recruitment strategies.
The company had previously raised $2.8m in January 2019 from internet company CyberAgent’s Fujita Fund, online recruitment service En-Japan, financial services firms Orient Corporation and Seven Bank, together with Seibu Shinkin Capital, which took part on behalf of bank Seibu Shinkin.
In August 2018, Timee secured $506,000, which included equity funding from game testing service Gaiax, CyberAgent Ventures and Colopl Next, respective corporate venturing arms of CyberAgent and game developer Colopl, along with F Ventures, Genesia Ventures and unnamed angel investors, and a loan supplied by Japan Finance Corporation.
