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§ Private Profile · Chicago, IL, USA
Upkey is a technology company.
Upkey delivers remote career readiness and talent engagement tools through its comprehensive platform. It offers virtual internship programs and online educational resources, designed to equip individuals with essential skills for the modern workforce. The platform includes practical tools for resume building and provides access to extensive career development content.
Upkey was founded in 2014 by Amir Badr, who also serves as its CEO. The company emerged from Badr's insight into the critical need for accessible career support, particularly for underrepresented and underserved populations. His personal background, including emigrating to the United States, likely shaped the company's mission to democratize career opportunities.
The platform primarily serves students, universities, and companies aiming to bridge the gap between education and employment. Upkey empowers individuals, especially from marginalized communities, by providing resources necessary to navigate and succeed professionally. The company envisions a future where aspiring professionals have equitable access to career creation tools.
Upkey has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round.
Upkey has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
# Upkey: Career-Readiness Platform
Upkey was a career development and talent discovery platform that equipped students with professional skills while creating a marketplace connecting diverse candidates with major corporations[1][3]. The company served as a bridge between underrepresented talent and companies seeking to expand their recruiting reach beyond traditional channels, helping over 100,000 students develop career readiness skills before closing operations after seven years[4].
Founded in Chicago in 2014 (with some sources citing 2016), Upkey addressed a critical gap in professional development for Gen-Z and millennial students[2][3]. The platform combined interactive skill-building modules, resume tools, job search resources, and connections to internships and virtual programs at companies including Google, McKinsey & Company, ADP, and Guardian Life[1]. Rather than serving as a traditional recruiting platform, Upkey positioned itself as a talent discovery tool that used technology to measure student potential and predict fit within organizations, thereby disrupting hiring biases and reducing screening costs for employers[2].
Upkey emerged from founder Amir's personal experience at Exelon, a Fortune 100 company, where he benefited from mentorship and leadership coaching that shaped his entrepreneurial path[1]. Recognizing that such opportunities were not equally accessible, Amir founded Upkey with a mission to democratize access to career development knowledge and level the playing field for underrepresented students[1]. The company gained early validation, being named one of LinkedIn's top 50 startups, with Amir included on Forbes Next 1000[1].
The platform gained traction through partnerships with major universities including Purdue University, University of Central Florida, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Baylor University, as well as collaborations with Fortune 500 companies and non-profits[3]. In February 2021, Upkey closed $2.6 million in seed funding, positioning itself as a mission-driven edtech startup[5].
Upkey operated at the intersection of edtech and HR tech, riding the wave of growing recognition that traditional recruiting channels systematically overlook qualified talent from underrepresented communities. The company's timing was particularly relevant during the pandemic, when digital career development became essential and companies accelerated diversity initiatives[4]. By positioning itself as a solution to both talent scarcity and hiring bias, Upkey addressed a structural inefficiency in labor markets—the disconnect between capable candidates and employers seeking diverse talent pipelines.
The platform's emphasis on democratizing professional development reflected broader edtech trends toward accessibility and skills-based hiring, challenging credential-dependent recruitment models that had long disadvantaged students from non-traditional backgrounds.
Note: Upkey ceased operations in late 2025. According to the company's final statement, after seven years of operation, founder Amir made the difficult decision to wind down the platform, citing dramatic evolution in the professional development space where technology now addresses many problems the company once solved through human-centered approaches[4]. While the company is no longer operating, its impact persists through the 100,000+ students it served, particularly those from underrepresented communities who gained career confidence and professional skills through the platform[4].
Amir indicated his continued commitment to youth empowerment, signaling potential future work in mental health, career growth, financial literacy, or community development[4]—suggesting the mission that drove Upkey may evolve into new ventures addressing adjacent challenges in youth development and economic mobility.
Upkey has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Seed in February 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2021 | $3M Seed | Charlie Plauche | Altari Ventures, Broadhaven Capital Partners, Cream City Venture Capital, Jenny Fielding, NextGen Venture Partners, S3 Ventures, Henry Yoshida, Steve Schaffer, Bronze Valley, Lofty Ventures, Tensility Venture Partners | Announced |
Upkey has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Upkey's investors include Charlie Plauche, Altari Ventures, Broadhaven Capital Partners, Cream City Venture Capital, Jenny Fielding, NextGen Venture Partners, S3 Ventures, Henry Yoshida, Steve Schaffer, Bronze Valley, Lofty Ventures, Tensility Venture Partners.