Andreessen Horowitz Backs AI Startup Dex with $3.1M Pre-Seed Round

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) invested a $3.1 million pre-seed in Dex, a London-based startup developing an AI-powered recruitment platform.

Dex, founded by Paddy Lambros and Harry Uglow, uses artificial intelligence to match companies with candidates and offers career coaching. This funding aims to advance Dex’s technology and expand its services ahead of a wider launch later this year.

Investment and Key Participants

The funding round was led by a16z’s Speedrun fund and co-led by Concept Ventures. Notable angel investors also contributed, including Meta board member Charlie Songhurst and Deliveroo COO Eric French.

Dex is led by CEO Paddy Lambros and CTO Harry Uglow, who both previously worked at European venture capital firm Atomico. The startup is currently operating in closed beta with about 24 UK tech firms, including two unicorns.

AI in Recruitment

Dex’s platform engages with candidates through AI-driven conversations to understand their skills and ambitions. It then maps the job market to find suitable roles and assists in applications.

This approach differs from traditional job boards by automating time-consuming tasks like searching, applying, and interview preparation. Dex also supports both active and passive job seekers by monitoring for relevant openings and sending alerts.

How Dex Works

• Conducts AI-based conversations to collect detailed candidate profiles
• Matches candidates with relevant job opportunities using market-wide data
• Handles applications by eliminating the need for CVs or cover letters
• Introduces candidates to hiring managers when matches occur
• Offers interview coaching and market salary data

Dex combines insights from extensive recruitment expertise and integrates multiple large language model providers such as OpenAI and Meta’s Llama. This ensures constant improvements through advanced AI technology.

Significance and Future Plans

This investment highlights the increasing role of AI in transforming recruitment processes. Dex aims to create lasting partnerships that benefit employers and employees by improving talent retention.

The company plans to expand its team and focus initially on the UK market, with plans for international growth following a public launch later in 2025.