A French company behind AI agents for recruitment has revealed plans to open an office in London after raising £23.4m in Series A investment.
Founded in 2022, Paris-based Maki believes AI will unlock productivity to transform HR from a supporting function into a high-impact business driver.
It claims to have developed AI-driven skills tests, data and analysis tools in the form of conversational AI agents that are bias-free and help recruiters focus on candidates’ actual competencies – removing the need for CVs and giving the ability to assess candidates faster.
CEO Maxime Legardez told BusinessCloud that the UK currently accounts for around 20% of its total annual recurring revenue, while it currently has 10 employees on these shores. Maki’s lead investor in the Series A round, Blossom Capital, is based here.
“We plan to open an office in London this year,” he said. “We plan to grow the existing UK team by 2-3x in 2025 and, in time, make London our commercial hub of EMEA.
“The UK is a very important market for Maki. One, because of the presence of our existing enterprise clients (e.g. Capgemini, Deloitte, PwC); and two, because the UK is very dynamic when it comes to AI.
“We’re highly encouraged by this week’s AI Opportunities Action Plan announcement from the UK government and hope to become a key part of the UK’s AI ecosystem.”
The investment will also fuel Maki’s commercial expansion in the US – which already accounts for 30% of the company’s business – and across the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Legardez will relocate to New York City to establish the company’s US hub.
Blossom Capital was joined in the round by DST Global and existing investors Frst, GFC and Picus Capital.
In 2024, Maki experienced over 300% growth, driven by large-scale contracts with global enterprise companies such as H&M, BNP Paribas, PwC, Deloitte, FIFA, Abercrombie and Capgemini.
Its conversational AI agents have been rolled out in 50+ markets globally. It says they have delivered 80% automation of screening and interviewing processes, a 3x reduction in time-to-hire and a 20% reduction in turnover – translating into millions of pounds in efficiency gains.
“Our mission is to give human resources more-than-human powers, as we believe the future lies in a powerful mix of human ingenuity and AI-driven intelligence. Our agents don’t just assist – they do the work, enabling HR teams to focus on strategic priorities, unlocking creativity and driving meaningful organisational impact,” said Legardez.
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