MeVitae, a UK-based Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) firm, has raised a $1.8 million (€1.7 million) seed round led by Apex Black. The new investment is a step towards the company’s aim of reshaping hiring processes through innovative AI-powered HR technology. It also intends to speed up product development and broaden MeVitae’s reach, notably in the United States, where a significant portion of its client base resides.
Founded by Oxford University alumni Neuroscientist Riham Satti and Computer Scientist Vivek Doraiswamy, MeVitae specializes in offering a comprehensive DEI ecosystem of HR tools. These tools, developed from AI ethics and neuroscience perspectives, are designed to detect and mitigate biases to enhance brighter, faster, and fairer hiring decisions. Its solutions directly address this imperative. Its solutions specifically meet this imperative. The tools identify imbalances in application success rates and offer solutions from a wide range of techniques to address them. The platform’s DE&I analytics tool then enables organizations to quantify the impact of these interventions, facilitating the development of well-informed DE&I strategies.
Speaking about the company, Co-founder & CEO of MeVitae, Riham Satti said:
Growing up, I never considered that my gender or skin colour might impede opportunities. It was during my university years that this harsh reality became evident. Delving into human decision-making, the rigid nature of biases was starkly apparent. With our backgrounds in AI ethics and neuroscience, Vivek and I realized the need to address these biases head-on.
With a diverse clientele spanning finance, government, and technology sectors, including HS2, TfL and The Good Food Institute, the startup’s pioneering solutions have demonstrated tangible results, with clients reporting a substantial 30% increase in gender and ethnic diversity within their organizations. These accomplishments serve as a powerful testament to the effectiveness of MeVitae’s innovative approach in driving impactful and positive change.
Rani Saad, Founding Partner of Apex Black, stated:
MeVitae is making the workplace fairer and more equitable, and we are proud to back them in their mission. A rapidly growing number of global public and private organizations are trusting MeVitae in their drives towards diversity, equity and inclusion. This is validation of the profound innovation and domain expertise embedded in MeVitae’s solutions, and testimony to the team’s unwavering passion.
It is headquartered in Harwell, Oxford. In a short time, the startup has not only formed collaborations with industry giants like Oracle and Microsoft but has also experienced tremendous growth. Over the past twelve months, the company achieved an impressive 350% expansion and is currently operating profitably. MeVitae has strengthened its leadership team by bringing a prominent industry expert, Geoff Lloyd, a well-versed HR professional with board-level experience at FTSE companies, including Airbus, Serco, and Meggitt.
Expressing his enthusiasm for joining MeVitae, Geoff Lloyd, added:
I am delighted to join the Board of MeVitae as, for too long, organizations have struggled with delivering the significant advances in diversity and inclusion that have been striven for. MeVitae has created a genuinely innovative technology platform that significantly improves the breadth and depth of the talent pool that organizations can access by removing bias and improving time to hire, all underpinned by class-leading analytics.
