Stockholm startup Fika Jobs raises $4M for AI-powered video hiring platform

Stockholm-based Fika Jobs has closed a $4 million pre-seed round to build a video-first recruitment platform that uses AI agents to interview job candidates. Rather than relying on traditional resumes, candidates complete a 10-minute AI-driven video interview and maintain a live video profile that employers can browse. The round was led by Luminar Ventures, with notable participation from the co-founders of Candy Crush.

Stockholm-based startup Fika Jobs has announced a $4 million pre-seed funding round to develop a recruitment platform that blends AI-powered interviews with short-form video profiles, positioning itself as something between LinkedIn and TikTok for job seekers.

A New Take on Hiring

The company, founded by brothers Jakob Dubois (CEO) and Alexander Dubois (CTO), was born from a frustration the pair encountered while running their previous venture. «When we were building Gaff, we spent a lot of time recruiting and almost passed on a candidate because his resume did not really stand out,» Jakob Dubois told TechCrunch. «We ended up speaking with him anyway, and within minutes, his grit, drive, and ambition became obvious. Exactly the kind of person we wanted to hire.»

That experience shaped Fika's core premise: that the qualities employers value most, personality, communication ability, drive, are often invisible on paper.

How the Platform Works

For candidates, the process begins by linking a LinkedIn profile. Fika's AI, currently powered by Google's Gemini models, reviews the applicant's background and generates tailored interview questions. The candidate then completes a roughly 10-minute video interview with the AI agent. Fika automatically edits responses into short clips and compiles them into a living profile that employers can discover over time, meaning candidates don't need to reapply for every new role.

Employers, by contrast, browse a pre-screened pool of candidates who have already been evaluated by the AI, rather than processing a flood of incoming applications. The platform is free for job seekers; employers pay nothing upfront but are charged 10% of a successful hire's first-year salary, below the 20-30% fees typically levied by traditional headhunters.

Bias Risks Acknowledged

The video-first model does not come without controversy. When employers can observe a candidate's race, gender, age, and physical appearance before assessing their qualifications, it introduces discrimination risks that a plain resume, for all its limitations, at least partially shields against. This is a challenge the company will need to address as it scales, particularly given recent industry moves toward blind screening practices.

Funding and Growth Plans

The $4 million round was led by Luminar Ventures, with Alliance VC and King co-founders Sebastian Knutsson and Riccardo Zacconi, the duo behind the hit mobile game Candy Crush, also participating.

Fika plans to open early access to candidates this week, with a full public launch expected in autumn 2026. The company will initially concentrate on the Swedish market before pursuing international expansion. The team is currently small but expects to reach around 10 employees by year-end.

More than 100 companies are reportedly on the waitlist. Separately, over 50 firms have already tested the platform, including Plenty Labs, SICS.ai, Kognity, and Rebtel. Competitors in the space include Alex, Maki, and Mercor, though Fika distinguishes itself by centering the experience around candidate-owned profiles rather than employer-side screening tools.