Campus recruitment specialist Yello announced this week that it is merging with WayUp, a HR tech startup that offers D&I recruiting solutions. The combined company will operate under the Yello name, but both brands will be retained. Both companies are based and operate in the US,

WayUp’s database will become the sourcing arm of Yello’s campus recruitment platform. According to the company, the database contains over 6 million diverse candidates of various backgrounds, including new graduates and students from across the country who attended over 7,000 campuses. 71 percent of the candidates are Black, Hispanic or female. The database also includes tens of thousands of military veterans.

In addition to offering a powerhouse of data, recruiters will benefit from the automation opportunities of two solutions from a single company,” said Corey Ferengul, CEO of Yello. “We are beyond excited to have the WayUp team join Yello and we believe that together we will offer the unparalleled capability to match employers and candidates in the campus and early talent world.”

WayUp's co-founders, Liz Wessel and JJ Fliegelman, will continue to play a major role in the combined company, and the entire WayUp team will join Yello.

Wessel, who is WayUp's CEO, said the shift toward hybrid recruitment had been a major factor in the decision to merge: “Over the past year, we’ve seen more companies than ever take their diversity recruiting goals seriously, which has been amazing. That being said, we also see that many companies plan to take a hybrid approach to recruit both in-person and virtually as the pandemic comes to an end, and we knew there was only one company that filled the physical event gap for recruiters, while also providing a robust CRM. And that company is Yello, which made merging a no-brainer for us.”