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§ Private Profile · 1414 NE 42nd St, Seattle, WA
Provides technical interview services and hiring infrastructure, including standardized assessments, for software companies to improve hiring quality.
Karat, based in Seattle, Washington, provides technical interview services and hiring infrastructure for software companies, utilizing structured interviewing and standardized assessments to enhance hiring quality and fairness. The company develops hiring analytics and interview engineering capabilities to assist enterprises in hiring more predictively and objectively across the software sector. Karat has secured over $41 million in funding to date, with a notable $28 million financing round led by investor Tiger Global. It has reportedly built the industry's largest and most robust dataset of structured-interview intelligence, serving a range of technology companies seeking to standardize their hiring processes. The organization was founded in 2014 by Mohit Bhende, a former Microsoft executive, and Jeffrey Spector, who previously served as Chief of Staff to Melinda Gates at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Karat has raised $187.2M across 7 funding rounds.
Karat has raised $187.2M in total across 7 funding rounds.
Karat has raised $187.2M across 7 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $110.0M Series C in October 2021.
Karat is a technology company that provides on-demand technical interview services to help engineering leaders hire top talent more efficiently and equitably. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Karat conducts first-round technical interviews 24/7 on behalf of companies, allowing candidates to schedule and redo interviews for better performance. It serves tech companies and engineering teams by solving the challenges of scalable, consistent, and fair talent assessment in a competitive hiring market, with products like global hiring solutions, contractor team placements, and internal mobility tools. The company has raised $151.6M, remains in the angel stage but active, and is recognized as a highflier in talent acquisition alongside firms like Greenhouse and Checkr.[1][2]
Karat emphasizes predictive results through real expert interviewers, rich performance data, competitive benchmarking, and AI collaboration insights, enabling faster and more informed hiring decisions. Customers like Mastercard, Compass, and Deliveroo praise its scalability, standardization, and market insights, positioning Karat as a leader in transforming technical hiring for the human + AI era.[2]
Karat was founded in 2014 in Seattle, Washington, by entrepreneurs aiming to address inefficiencies in technical recruiting.[1] While specific founder names are not detailed in available sources, the company emerged from recognizing systemic barriers in engineering hiring, such as limited access to technical interviews for underrepresented groups like Black engineers—whose first interview often occurs during job hunts due to gaps in education and internships. Karat's long-term mission includes doubling the number of Black engineers by 100,000 in a decade through improved interview access and equity.[1]
Early traction came from offering 24/7 scheduling and redo options, disrupting traditional interview constraints. This model gained momentum as talent acquisition tech evolved, earning Karat a spot as a highflier in CB Insights' ESP matrix for sourcing and selecting candidates.[1][2]
Karat rides the wave of intensified competition for engineering talent amid AI-driven transformation and global expansion. In a market where companies struggle with high-volume hiring, inconsistent interviews, and equity gaps, Karat's on-demand model aligns with trends like remote work, contractor economies, and skills-based assessments over resumes.[1][2] Timing is ideal post-2020 talent shortages, as firms scale AI teams needing reliable vetting—Karat's data and AI insights give engineering leaders an edge in benchmarking and prediction.[2]
It influences the ecosystem by standardizing technical interviews, fostering diverse pipelines (e.g., for Black engineers), and enabling highfliers like Greenhouse to complement broader talent acquisition stacks. Market forces like rising developer demand in India and contractor reliance amplify its impact.[1][2]
Karat is poised to dominate as technical hiring integrates deeper with AI tools for assessment and global scaling. Expect expansions in AI-enhanced insights, more contractor and mobility products, and partnerships amplifying equity goals amid talent wars. Trends like skills-first hiring and underrepresented group upskilling will propel growth, evolving Karat from interview provider to full talent measurement standard—building on its $151M raise and highflier status to redefine equitable engineering pipelines.[1][2]
*Note: Search results reference a separate Karat entity in creator financing (trykarat.com), but context confirms this query targets the Seattle-based technical interview platform.[3]*
Karat has raised $187.2M in total across 7 funding rounds.
Karat's investors include Tiger Global Management, 8VC, ARCH Venture Partners, Atomico, Broadway Angels, Eurazeo, Felicis Ventures, Flybridge Capital Partners, Hack VC, Jlabs, Kima Ventures, Kleiner Perkins.