AI Recruiting Startup Dex Raises $5.3m Seed to Match AI Engineers with Companies
Dex, an AI talent agent for technical hiring founded by a former Atomico talent adviser, has raised $5.3 million in seed funding led by Notion Capital, with participation from a16z Speedrun, Concept Ventures, and angel investors from OpenAI and other firms. This brings their total capital to $8.4 million.
What Dex Does
Dex focuses on a specific segment of the technical talent market: AI researchers, software developers, and machine learning and quantitative engineers. Since launching in late 2025, the platform has grown from zero to approximately $1.8 million in annualized recurring revenue (ARR).
How Dex Works
The process involves two stages:
- Candidate Conversation: A candidate converses with Dex's AI agent, which asks open-ended questions about their experience, motivations, and ambitions.
- Matching: Using a combination of models from Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI, Dex surfaces relevant job openings, helps the candidate research companies, benchmarks compensation, and prepares them for interviews. When both parties express mutual interest, Dex introduces the candidate directly to the hiring manager.
Business Model
Dex operates on an agency fee model, charging employers 20-30% of a hired candidate's first-year salary, similar to a traditional executive search firm.
“We only earn money if we do a good job,” said Paddy Lambros, founder of Dex.
This approach distinguishes Dex from other software solutions that promise hiring improvements without accountability.