Holly Secures $2.2M to Modernize Government Hiring with AI
Holly, a New York-based AI-powered platform focused on modernizing government hiring, has successfully secured $2.2 million in pre-seed funding. This significant investment was led by J2 Ventures, with additional participation from Roble Ventures, Gaingels, and several prominent angel investors.
Founded in 2023 by Brendan Hellweg and Cherie Chung, Holly aims to address the pressing issue of the million-job government workforce vacancy crisis. The company’s innovative platform leverages AI and intergovernmental data collaboration to streamline workflows, modernize job classifications, and promote equity in the hiring processes for the public sector’s 24 million roles.
The funding will be utilized to support Holly’s platform as it works to tackle the challenges in government hiring. Currently, government hiring processes take an average of 135 days, which is nearly five times longer than in the private sector, and costs taxpayers $86 billion annually in overtime. Holly’s AI-powered platform is designed to transform these outdated systems, enabling more efficient and equitable recruitment for millions of public sector roles.
J2 Ventures, the lead investor, is a deep-tech venture capital firm based in Boston with over $200 million in assets under management. The firm invests in sectors critical to national security and private sector advancements, including advanced computing, cybersecurity, telecom and infrastructure, and healthcare. The participation of Roble Ventures, Gaingels, and angel investors underscores the potential of Holly’s platform to make a significant impact in the government hiring landscape.
By modernizing government hiring processes, Holly aims to not only fill the current vacancies but also to create a more efficient and equitable system for future recruitments. The company’s use of AI and data collaboration is expected to significantly reduce the time and cost associated with government hiring, ultimately benefiting both the government and taxpayers.
The pre-seed funding round was oversubscribed, indicating strong interest in Holly’s innovative approach to government hiring. The company’s founders, Brendan Hellweg and Cherie Chung, have a clear vision for transforming the public sector’s hiring processes, and this funding will be crucial in helping them achieve their goals.
In summary, Holly’s $2.2 million pre-seed funding is a significant step towards addressing the government workforce vacancy crisis. With the support of J2 Ventures, Roble Ventures, Gaingels, and angel investors, Holly is poised to make a substantial impact in modernizing government hiring processes, ultimately benefiting both the government and taxpayers.
See more funded startups in USA.