ASSURED LABOR SECURES $1 MILLION IN SEED FUNDING TO GROW MARKETPLACE FOR JOBS IN EMERGING MARKETS
Mobile Phone Based Job Matching to Change the Face of Recruitment
NEW YORK, April 28, 2010 – Assured Labor, Inc., (www.AssuredLabor.com), the first web and mobile marketplace for jobs built exclusively for emerging markets, announced today that it has raised $1 million in seed funding. The funding will enable the company to expand its Latin American offering, EmpleoListo (www.EmpleoListo.com), and to enhance its disruptive recruitment technology.
Assured Labor leverages the power of text messaging and the Internet to connect employers with mid-to-low wage workers. The innovative service is optimized for the way that candidates in emerging markets really find jobs, as 67 percent of Internet users do not have a computer at home. Job seekers who register with Assured Labor can connect with hundreds of employers, and receive interview requests via text message, while companies that suffer from high worker turnover can shorten their recruitment process from weeks to hours. Filling positions sooner enhances companies’ productivity, and grants workers additional opportunities to earn income.
“Through Assured Labor, job seekers around the world will be able to leverage their mobile phones to connect with job opportunities,” said David Reich, CEO and co-founder of Assured Labor. “Traditional job boards have only impacted the tip of the iceberg. Assured Labor’s cost effective platform enables employers in emerging markets to leverage the ubiquity of mobile phones to hire better workers faster than ever before. We’re thrilled to have brought on a group of investors experienced in building digital marketplaces around the world.”
Assured Labor’s funding comes from notable investors including: Nexus Venture Partners, Kima Ventures, Michael Van Swaaij (former CEO and Chairman of Skype), and Fabrice Grinda (CEO of OLX.com) among others.
Founded at the MIT MediaLab, Assured Labor has promoted employment through efficient and transparent marketplaces in multiple geographies since 2008. The company launched its pilot in Central America in 2009 in partnership with the region’s largest wireless carrier.
About Assured Labor, Inc.
Assured Labor leverages the power of text messaging and the Internet to connect employers in emerging markets with mid-to-low wage workers. The marketplace for jobs leverages mobility to reach workers who are connected by mobile phones, but not consistently on the Internet. Assured Labor offers companies that suffer from high worker turnover a platform that can shorten their recruitment process from weeks to hours. Filling positions sooner enhances companies’ productivity, and grants workers additional opportunities to earn income. Founded at the MIT MediaLab, the company launched its Latin American marketplace, EmpleoListo, in 2009. More information is available at www.assuredlabor.com.
For media inquiries, please call (888) 274-2561 or email press@assuredlabor.com. You can download a print ready version here.
ASSURED LABOR OBTIENE USD $1 MILLON EN CAPITAL SEMILLA PARA DESARROLLAR UN MERCADO LABORAL EN MERCADOS EMERGENTES
Búsqueda de trabajo basada en el uso de teléfonos celulares cambiará la forma del reclutamiento
NEW YORK, Abril 28, 2010 – Assured Labor, Inc., (www.AssuredLabor.com), el primer Mercado web y telefĂłnico para encontrar trabajo creado exclusivamente para mercados emergentes anunciĂł hoy que obtuvo fondos por $1 millĂłn como capital semilla. Dicho capital permitirá a la compañĂa expandir a LatinoamĂ©rica su servicio, llamado EmpleoListo (www.EmpleoListo.com), y para mejorar su disruptiva plataforma tecnolĂłgica de reclutamiento.
Assured Labor apalanca el poder de los mensajes de texto celular y del Internet para conectar a los empleadores con los trabajadores de mandos medios y operativos. El innovador servicio está optimizado para la manera en como los candidatos en mercados emergentes realmente encuentran trabajo, dado que el 67 por ciento de los usuarios de Internet no cuentan con una computadora en casa. Las personas que buscan trabajo al registrarse con Assured Labor pueden ponerse en contacto con cientos de empleadores y recibir invitaciones a entrevistas vĂa mensajes de texto; en tanto, las compañĂas que enfrentan un alto nivel de rotaciĂłn de personal pueden acortar su proceso de reclutamiento de semanas a horas. Ocupar las vacantes en menor tiempo mejora la productividad de las empresas, y otorga a los trabajadores oportunidades adiciones de recibir un ingreso.
“A través de Assured Labor, las personas que buscan trabajo alrededor del mundo serán capaces de usar sus teléfonos móviles para conectarse con oportunidades de empleo”, dice David Reich CEO y co-fundador de Assured Labor. “Las bolsas de trabajo tradicionales únicamente han atacada la punta del iceberg. La plataforma de Assured Labor es rentable y permite a los empleadores en mercados emergentes apalancar la penetración de los teléfonos móviles para contratar mejores empleados de una manera más rápida que antes. Estamos emocionados de haber reunido a un grupo de inversionistas con experiencia en la creación de mercados digitales alrededor del mundo”.
El financiamiento de Assured Labor proviene de notables inversionistas como Nexus Venture Partners, Kima Ventures, Michael Van Swaaij (antiguo CEO y Presidente de Skype), y Fabrice Grinda (CEO de OLX.com) entre otros.
Fundado en el MIT MediaLab, Assured Labor ha promovido el empleo a travĂ©s de mercados eficientes y transparentes en mĂşltiples geografĂas desde 2008. La compañĂa lanzĂł su piloto en CentroamĂ©rica en 2009 en sociedad con el mayor operador de telefonĂa mĂłvil de la regiĂłn.
Sobre Assured Labor, Inc.
Assured Labor aprovecha el poder de los mensajes de texto y del Internet para conectar a los empleadores en mercados emergentes con trabajadores de mandos medios y operativos. El mercado aprovecha la movilidad para contactar a los trabajadores que están conectados a travĂ©s de sus telĂ©fonos celulares, pero que no cuentan con acceso constante a Internet. Assured Labor ofrece a las compañĂas que sufren de alta rotaciĂłn de personal una plataforma que puede acortar su proceso de reclutamiento de semanas a horas. Ocupar las vacantes en menor tiempo mejora la productividad de las empresas, y otorga a los trabajadores oportunidades adiciones de recibir un ingreso. Fundado en el MIT MediaLab, la compañĂa lanzĂł en AmĂ©rica Latina su servicio, EmpleoListo, en 2009. Más InformaciĂłn disponible en www.assuredlabor.com
Para consultas mediáticas, por favor llame al +1 (888) 274-2561 o escriba al correo electrónico press@assuredlabor.com.
Planning 2010: White-boarding and Surf-boarding
The Assured Labor team is often asked how a start-up focused on emerging markets distributed across three continents can stay on the same page. The secret lies in lies good planning and making the most of our time together when we have it.
This January Assured Labor’s founders gathered in at the Managua office for a week and a half to round up and plan for 2010. We spent some QT with customers and even had the pleasure of hosting one of our investors in Nicaragua. Mapping out an entire year takes a lot of foresight, but more than anything, takes a good whiteboard.
Assured Labor 2010!
Hello 2010! We’re two weeks in and starting on our first new year’s resolution – reviving the Assured Labor Blog. You may be thinking “What, you’re still alive? Where have you been?” Short answer – Nicaragua. OK, sounds a tad unusual, but it’s true.
2009 was the year we put our heads down and got to work creating the service Assured Labor was intended to be. The ultimate service for recruiting mid-to-low wage workers in emerging markets using web and mobile technology.
Assured Labor Founders Climb Cell Tower
It’s taken a full 4 months but Assured Labor’s founders have made it onto the Sloan website. We’ve also added a few hundred users and helped find quite a few great service providers for our members. The free private beta is still open to Assured Labor’s fans so go to http://beta.assuredlabor.com to participate.
