Bengaluru-based recruitment tech startup HireBound has raised $2 million in a seed funding round led by Kalaari Capital.
The round also saw participation from Antler, wealthtech startup Infinyte Club, and talent solutions provider CareerNet.
The startup plans to deploy the fresh capital to accelerate product development, expand go-to-market operations, and drive international growth over the next 12–24 months.
Prior to this round, HireBound had raised $348,000 from investors including Antler.
Founded in 2024 by Sharad Vij and Kumar Vikramaditya, HireBound is building autonomous AI agents designed to automate the end-to-end hiring lifecycle. The platform handles sourcing, candidate engagement, screening, and evaluation, operating across WhatsApp, email, SMS, and voice channels, while integrating seamlessly with existing Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and HRMS platforms.
At the core of HireBound’s offering is its AI recruiter persona, “June,” which functions as a 24/7 virtual recruiter to manage high-volume candidate interactions and initial screening. By moving beyond traditional ATS systems that act primarily as systems of record, HireBound positions its AI agents as outcome-driven tools for modern hiring teams.
HireBound claims its platform has already facilitated over three million candidate conversations and has been trained on more than two million resumes and 30,000 job descriptions. It primarily serves staffing firms and enterprise talent acquisition teams across India and the US through SaaS and managed hiring models.
The company currently operates with a 15-member team spanning product, engineering, AI/ML, delivery, and go-to-market functions. Sharad Vij, who previously worked at LinkedIn, Naukri.com, and Mettl, serves as CEO, while co-founder Kumar Vikramaditya brings prior experience from Zuma (Y Combinator W21).
