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§ Private Profile · Toronto, Canada
AI hiring assessment software provides behavioral video analysis of soft skills for enterprises, focused on reducing unconscious bias in talent.
Knockri, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, develops an AI-powered behavioral video assessment tool designed to analyze candidates' soft skills and reduce unconscious bias in the hiring process. The platform combines computer vision, machine learning, and industrial organizational psychology to objectively evaluate candidates, aiming to reduce unconscious bias and shortlist optimal fits for roles. Operating on a SaaS model, Knockri serves enterprise clients, including Fortune 1000 companies such as IBM, SAP, Deloitte, and Novartis. The company has secured venture capital funding, with Differential VC among its known investors, and was recognized in HRDC’s Rising Stars 2018 for HR innovation. Knockri was founded in 2017 by Jahanzaib Ansari, Maaz Rana, and Faisal Ahmed. Its business model centers on saaS model providing AI hiring assessment software to enterprises, funded through venture capital.
Knockri has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round.
Knockri has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Knockri is a Toronto-based HR technology company that builds an AI-powered interview and assessment platform to enable skills-based hiring and promotions. It serves HR teams and organizations across industries like technology, finance, and government, solving the problem of unconscious bias in recruitment by using video intelligence, machine learning, and industrial-organizational psychology to evaluate soft skills such as confidence and empathy, while shortlisting diverse, high-performing candidates.[1][2][3][5] The platform reduces screening time by up to 99%, improves candidate experience with branded, multilingual assessments (supporting languages like English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Hindi), and ensures equity through transparent "glass-box AI" scoring and customizable skills frameworks.[4][5][6] With $4.5 million in total funding and enterprise-grade security (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001), Knockri has achieved Fortune 1000 client status and expanded from Canada into the US, fostering inclusive teams and economic growth aligned with UN SDGs on reducing inequalities.[1][2][5]
Knockri was founded in 2017 (with some sources noting 2016) by Jahanzaib Ansari, alongside co-founders Maaz Rana and Faisal Ahmed, in Toronto, Canada.[1][3] The idea emerged from Ansari's personal frustration during job applications: he suspected his non-Anglicized name led to ghosting by employers, prompting a co-founder to suggest anglicizing it—a bias he sought to eliminate systematically.[1] Ansari assembled a team including a machine learning scientist for the interview assessment tool and an industrial-organizational psychologist to refine the science-based approach.[1] Early traction came from proving the platform's value in bias reduction and skill-matching, securing $4.5 million in funding across rounds and earning recognition for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).[1][2] Pivotal moments include implementations since 2016 for clients, stable platform growth, and expansion to US markets, with ongoing monthly support building long-term partnerships.[1][4]
Knockri rides the wave of responsible AI in HR tech, addressing surging demand for ethical tools amid rising DEI mandates, remote hiring post-pandemic, and skills shortages in a global talent market.[1][5][7] Timing aligns with AI regulations emphasizing transparency (e.g., "glass-box" models counter black-box risks) and labor market shifts toward skills-based hiring over resumes, amplified by economic pressures for faster, fairer recruitment.[2][3][4] Market forces like talent scarcity in tech/finance and UN SDG alignment favor Knockri, as companies face bias lawsuits and diversity quotas; it influences the ecosystem by setting standards for inclusive AI, inspiring competitors like Codility and Testlify, and contributing to Canada's responsible AI hub via partnerships like MaRS.[3][7] By enabling equitable access for underrepresented groups, Knockri amplifies high-performing diverse workforces, reducing inequalities while fueling economic growth.[1]
Knockri is poised to scale globally with its proven bias-mitigating AI, targeting enterprise expansions in multilingual markets and government sectors amid tightening AI ethics laws. Trends like AI-augmented HR, hybrid work, and DEI accountability will propel demand, potentially doubling funding and client base as skills economies mature. Its influence may evolve from niche innovator to category leader, shaping fairer hiring norms—echoing its founding mission to dismantle name-based barriers for a truly dynamic workforce.[1][5][7]
Knockri has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Knockri's investors include Differential Ventures, Aleph VC, B Capital Group, Brewer Lane Ventures, Bertelsmann, Grand Ventures.
Knockri has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $2.0M Seed in April 2020.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2020 | $2M Seed | Differential Ventures | Aleph VC, B Capital Group, Brewer Lane Ventures, Bertelsmann, Grand Ventures | Announced |