Diversity Recruitment Platform Jopwell Raises $3.25 Million in Seed Funding

Jopwell, a leading recruitment and hiring platform for building a more diverse workforce, announced that it has raised $3.25 million in seed funding. The company will use the investment to scale operations, infrastructure, and product capabilities to meet growing demand.

Magic Johnson Enterprises, Andreessen Horowitz, Kapor Capital, Omidyar Network, and Valar Ventures participated in the round, along with several other firms.

“Companies that value diversity out-innovate and outperform those that don’t–period,” said Porter Braswell, co-founder and CEO of Jopwell. “But nearly half of all employers call their own diversity efforts ‘weak.’ Our software supports employers, allowing them to overcome the obstacles that typically stall diversity recruitment, making it more effective and efficient.”

Jopwell, which helps leading companies find and recruit black, Latino/Hispanic, and Native American professionals and students, helps to deliver a pipeline of talent to fill a range of roles, ranging from from experienced to internships, across industries including technology, finance, education, not-for-profits, consulting, and healthcare.

“Jopwell is in high demand because it fills a critical need,” said Earvin “Magic” Johnson, chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, in a news release. “Diversity has moved beyond being seen as simply a box to check for the workplace. The world’s top companies are taking a more progressive view — they realize that diversity has an impact on their bottom line. Porter and Ryan have created Jopwell to give employers access to the best candidates from historically underrepresented minority groups. I believe in their vision and am excited to work with them.”

In the last year, Jopwell has added more than 40 top companies to its client roster, which includes Facebook, McKinsey & Co., Morgan Stanley, Abercrombie & Fitch, and MasterCard.

“The barriers to diversity across industries are strikingly similar,” said Ryan Williams, co-founder and president of Jopwell. “Employers often rely on underrepresented minority employees to informally tap into their networks and drive potential candidates. It’s ad hoc and ineffective. Jopwell turns this process on its head. Our technology generates a consistently full pipeline, with thousands of qualified black, Latino/Hispanic, and Native American talent. We’re simplifying — and also optimizing — a traditionally broken system.”

Jopwell has now raised more than $4.22 million, including previous investments from Y Combinator and Rothenberg Ventures.