RECRU lands strategic backing from BrainHunters founder for recruiter software
What's the deal? RECRUDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a startup incubated at UPTEC — the University of Porto's science and technology park — has secured a strategic investment from Josep Ollonarte, founder of BrainHunters, who brings more than 20 years of recruitment-industry experience. The amount and terms were not disclosed.
What does RECRU do? Founded in December 2025 by Joan Isern, the company builds an applicant tracking system (ATS) for recruitment and headhunting agencies. The tool automates workflows and communications with candidates and clients, and claims to free up to five working days a month for each recruiter.
Why now? The funding lands alongside a new version of RECRU's software. The refreshed platform adds AI features that suggest automatic updates to candidate records, a Google-synced calendar with scheduling links, and integrated emails sent from each recruiter's own account.
Who else is in? Ollonarte joins lead investor Manu Soriano, chief executive officer of WExecutive Spain, who introduced him to the team. Isern framed the deal as "smart capital," saying Ollonarte's sector knowledge "brings a lot of value to the company" (translated from Portuguese).
What's the endgame? Beyond UPTEC, RECRU is part of the BCombinator accelerator in Barcelona and currently operates in Portugal, Spain, and South Africa. By the end of 2026, it aims to consolidate its product in the Iberian market and reach more agencies and clients in Portugal and Spain.
The signal: The deal is notable less for its size than as an early, sector-informed vote of confidence in a competitive niche. Rivals are drawing larger cheques — Belgian competitor SpottDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → raised $21 million in September to expand its AI-native ATS internationally — making RECRU's streamlined workflow a test of whether agency customers can be won on simplicity.
Read more: uptec.up.pt
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
