Workstream, the US-based developer of a text message-based recruitment service, secured $48m yesterday in a series B round that included entertainment agency Roc Nation.
The round was co-led by venture capital firm Bond and investment manager Coatue, with additional investments from Founders Fund, Basis Set Ventures, CRV, Peterson Ventures, Liquid 2 Ventures and GGV Capital in addition to Will Smith’s Dreamers VC fund.
A number of private investors also took part in the round, including Eric Yuan, Tony Xu, Ryan Smith, Bracken Darrell, Max Levchin, Frederic Kerrest, Dylan Field, Zach Perrett, Henry Ward, Mathilde Collins, Scott Cutler, Jack Altman and Jed Nachman.
Founded in 2017, Workstream operates an automated, mobile-based recruitment platform that connects businesses to hourly workers. It claims to have more than 1,500 customers including fast-food franchises Chick-fil-A and Wingstop.
Desmond Lim, co-founder and CEO of Workstream, said: “We set out to give local businesses the tools they need to hire hourly workers faster and we are humbled by the momentum and results our customers have seen.
“Adding this strategic group of investors to our team gives us access to additional resources and expertise as we expand our capabilities and continue to support this once underserved community.”
Workstream plans to use the new funding to double the size of its headcount with a significant number of hires across its sales, marketing and engineering divisions. It also intends to invest in its product development and general growth activities.
The series B round has extended the company’s overall funding to $60.5m and followed a $10m series A round in May 2020 that was led by Founders Fund and which also featured Heartland Ventures, GGV Capital and assorted individual backers.
Workstream had raised an undisclosed amount of funding in a seed round backed by Basis Set Ventures in 2018.