HerKey, India’s most prominent career engagement platform for women, announced that it has raised $4 million in its pre-Series A round led by Kalaari Capital and 360 ONE Asset. The funding round was also backed by angel investors, including Zia Mody, Puneet Dalmia, Pramit Jhaveri, Aditi and Shuchi Kothari, KP Balaraj, Ranjan Pai, Neeraj Bajaj, Akash Bhansali and others.
According to the company’s statement, the platform seeks to address the gender gap in the Indian workforce, where only 20% of women participate in the labour force, compared to 60% in China and 55% in the United States.
Founded by Neha Bagaria, HerKey (formerly known as JobsForHer) supports companies in building a diverse and inclusive workplace, attracting and retaining top talent, and positively impacting their business. Through HerKey, companies can recruit, retain and promote female talent by providing the required opportunities, learning and communities – all customized to women’s needs.
Speaking about the capital raised, Founder & CEO of HerKey, Neha Bagaria, said:
We are grateful to our esteemed investors for their support in helping us create a more inclusive workforce for women in India. We need to create a movement where everyone, including men, supports and champions women’s careers. By working together, we can create a more inclusive and equitable workforce, which will benefit all.
The startup currently serves 3.5 million women and plans to scale this number to 30 million. It claims to have over 10,000 companies enrolled for the platform to engage with women candidates.
Founder & Managing Director of Kalaari Capital, Vani Kola, added:
A crucial aspect of India’s economic ascent in the coming decade will be increasing participation of women in the workforce. A digital platform like Herkey is the need of the hour to make progress towards this goal. HerKey helps women exchange diverse knowledge and perspectives and enables them to interact without being constrained by time and location. We have been impressed by HerKey’s growth trajectory and look forward to partnering with them as they redefine the landscape of women’s careers in India.
Nidhi Ghuman, Senior EVP, 360 ONE Asset, commented:
We are thrilled to collaborate with Neha and her team in their efforts to establish a platform that enables women to excel and realize their maximum potential. HerKey, (formerly JobsforHer) has accomplished remarkable feats over the years, and the launch of this new platform is evidence of its commitment and achievements in recent times.
