Adzuna clinches government contract as Gousto raises £28.5m

Two Young Gun companies have announced major wins this week, with job search engine Adzuna awarded the contract to replace the UK’s government’s job search platform Universal Jobmatch, and Gousto clinching £28.5m in funding.

Adzuna awarded government job search contract

Startups 100-featured Adzuna, which was founded by Young Gun Andrew Hunter and Doug Monro in 2011, helps jobseekers find employment by matching them to roles.

The 50-strong company has seen exceptional growth over the last six years, with 10 million monthly unique visitors across 16 countries.

Jobmatch is one of the government’s biggest online services, connecting millions of jobseekers to thousands of employers.

Set to launch in the second quarter of 2018, Jobmatch will use Adzuna’s technology to offer “a fast, simple experience and powerful search”, for jobseekers. It will be available 24/7.

Users just have to create an account, upload their CVs and create relevant email alerts so they know when a suitable job is available.

Monro commented: “We are thrilled that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has chosen our solution to provide a modern job board for the large numbers of jobseekers and employers who use the service every day.

“Throughout the procurement process, we have been impressed by the DWP’s agile approach to change and openness to adopt new technology.

“What better way to build on our own private sector success to date than by working with government to help jobseekers across Britain find better, more fulfilling jobs.”

Gousto raises £28.5m in funding

Meanwhile, recipe kit company Gousto has clinched £28.5m in equity funding from Hargreave Hale, Angel CoFund, MMC Ventures, and BGF Ventures.

Founded by Timo Boldt and James Carter in 2012, Gousto offers customers a choice of around 29 recipes each week. The meals start from £2.98 per meal and can be delivered any day of the week.

The funding takes the company’s total investment to £56.5m and will be used to develop the automation of its product to tackle logistical challenges. Its ambition is to serve UK families 400 million meals by 2025 and have three million households wasting 0% food.

Boldt commented: “Our commitment to technology has seen us create a leading value proposition, driving customer satisfaction levels 56% higher than the UK’s leading supermarket.

“Over the next year, we’ll win even more of the 1 billion meals eaten in the UK, by prioritising investment in AI and automation to ‘wow’ customers.”