MVP Match, a tech-talent marketplace, raises $5M from Stage 2 Capital • TechCrunch

Tech-talent marketplace MVP Match has raised €5 million ($5 million) seed funding from Stage 2 Capital to double down its strategy for pairing companies with talent from across the globe.

The Germany-based startup plans to use the funding to build new hubs in Africa and Europe, grow its team, and re-launch its proprietary platform to make “finding and working with tech talent easier than ever before.”

The plan to grow its reach follows the launch of a new hub in Egypt that MVP Match will use to tap talent in Africa — with the aim of creating more networks in the region. The hubs, which include the existing ones in Lisbon (Portugal) and Tbilisi (Georgia), are intended to help its more than 100 clients hire local talent without having to establish operations in those jurisdictions.

“We see entering Egypt as the first step in our exciting journey to bring the entire continent into the global talent pool. By setting up a local presence and working closely with the local talent, we will be able to really open up this market to our clients. And, with interesting projects from world’s leading product companies comes knowledge transfer that the local senior talent seeks, just as much as fair working rates,” MVP Match CEO, Levin Wense told TechCrunch.

Wense, who founded the startup in 2020 together with Philipp Petrescu, added that MVP Match acts as an Employer of Record, which enables it to manage the whole recruiting process including the establishment of local office spaces and talent onboarding. This helps recruiters to build teams in other regions without worrying about the lengthy recruitment process and paperwork.

“With available locations such as Egypt, for example, our clients and other global companies can scale their products and engineering teams in nearshore, best value-for-money regions. We can provide them with complete legal infrastructure to permanently employ local talent without physical local presence,” said Wense.

“For fast-growing companies that operate on crowded markets, being able to launch a nearshore hub with a fully equipped office space within weeks and in a process build a more diverse and inclusive team can be a difference between delivering or not on their product roadmaps and strategic goals,” he said.

MVP Match said it uses product and technology executives like CTOs, and experienced domain experts to vet talent before recommending them to companies. Vetting includes tech-related challenges and personality interviews, to ensure that their clients, which include Voya Financial and accounting firm PwC, are matched with the right talent.

Of their decision to fund MVP match Stage 2 Capital partner Anubhav Maheshwari said: “Engineering, product, and design roles are critical, yet hard-to-fill positions. They’re in high demand by both growing technology companies, as well as non-tech companies undergoing rapid digital transformation.”

“With dedicated focus on providing an exceptional experience both for customers and remote talent alike, MVP Match is rapidly connecting proven and experienced professionals, wherever they may be located, with exciting and high-impact projects.”