How Sydney recruitment startup Curious Thing scored $1.5 million just months after it was founded

Sydney Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) startup Curious Thing has secured $1.5 million in seed funding just six months after it was founded, as it prepares to roll out its AI-enabled HR software.

The funding was co-led by Singapore-based Qualgro, and Aussie VC Reinventure Group.

Founded in July 2018, Curious Thing is headed up by three founders who are no strangers to the startup life.

Sam Zheng previously founded Aussie analytics startup Hyper Anna, while Han Xu is former head of machine learning at Flamingo, and David McKeague co-founded video engagement platform Incoming Media.

Curious Thing is an AI digital interviewer, aimed at smoothing the process of hiring when there are between 50 and 100 applicants.

Recruitment processes in these cases can be incredibly time consuming, and employers tend to spend relatively little time actually reading resumes, Zheng tells StartupSmart.

Curious Thing will “allow everyone a chance to interview with the AI, so hiring managers can make better decisions”, he says.

“We believe it’s an opportunity for us, and the whole talent acquisition market,” he adds.

“Conversational AI will be a massive wave, changing how we interact with machines and with each other.” Read more

Stephanie Palmer-Derrien - Startup Smart - 6 Feb 2019