European PE firm capital D acquires majority stake in recruitment marketing startup VONQ

European private equity firm capital D has acquired a majority stake in VONQ, a recruitment marketing startup that enables companies to bypass traditional recruitment agencies and reach their target talent. The firm has acquired 54 percent of the startup in the deal. Other financial details were not disclosed.

Wouter Goedhart, co-founder and CEO of VONQ, stated, “We are delighted to have secured this significant investment from capital D. The team has real insights into the fast-changing recruitment sector and proactively approached us more than a year ago. We see this as a great opportunity to continue to empower hiring teams to attract the right applicants.”

VONQ’s platform integrates over 2,000 job boards, streamlining recruitment so that corporate recruiters can find high-quality talent in less time and easily. Part of the service comprises of data-driven advertising, whereby clients can automatically execute targeted awareness campaigns across digital platforms. About 1,000 corporations use the platform, including over 250 large enterprises such as Lidl and BMW group.

The London based equity firm, which invests in disruptive mid-market companies across Europe was attracted in part by the Rotterdam based tech company’s growth rate of 30 percent per year. 

Jean-Marc Jabre, co-founder of capital D, stated, “Our focus is on business models that transform industries. VONQ and its leadership team have created an outstanding platform in HR Tech. We see in VONQ the opportunity to become a platform that redefines and resets recruiting for enterprise clients and we look forward to partnering with the team.”

The deal is yet another sign of the increasing interest of investors in successful HR Tech startups. For VONQ, the deal has enabled it to partner with a firm that can further accelerate its growth and help it increase the reach of its recruitment marketing technology on a global scale.