German HRTech startup Emerge Tech has secured funding from High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and the Heimatboost investment community in order to support product development and preparation for a Seed round planned for late 2025.
Daniel Braun, CEO, highlighted their mission in light of a growing labour shortage: “Our AI agents will create game-changing opportunities, finally enabling smaller teams to stand out as employers and reshape HR.“
Founded in 2024, Emerge Tech is developing an AI-driven platform to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) digitise and boost their employer branding – a process typically reserved for large corporations with deep pockets.
The company is led by Founders Daniel Braun, CEO, who previously scaled HRTech firm WorkGenius to €178 million in revenue in the US; Wolf Reiner Kriegler, CPO, an employer branding innovator and Founder of the German Employer Branding Academy; and Thomas Holl, CTO and Co-founder of the language learning platform Babbel.
Emerge Tech’s platform is powered by specialised AI agents designed to automate and streamline employer branding with measurable results.
‘Creative Carla’ shapes the startup’s identity and messaging, while ‘Channel Charly’ ensures the message reaches the right candidates through data-informed channel strategies. The aim is to make premium employer branding not only accessible, but also efficient and scalable.
Initial results suggest strong product-market fit: companies using Emerge report a 40% better fit between candidates and organisation, an 87% reduction in costs compared to agencies, and a 54% decrease in day-to-day recruiting effort.
Kriegler added that the technology shifts power from budget-heavy corporates to authenticity-driven SMEs: “Employer branding has long been a privilege reserved for big brands. However, talent doesn’t make decisions based on budget; authenticity wins. That’s exactly where our AI comes in.”
Over the course of 2025, Emerge will focus on refining the user experience and growing adoption of Carla and Charly, with the objective of building a scalable, robust AI agent model.
A Seed round is on the horizon for late 2025, after which the startup will pursue international expansion and introduce a broader suite of agents covering the entire employee lifecycle – from onboarding through to performance management.
Christian Arndt, Principal at HTGF, said: “The complementary and experienced founding team at Emerge immediately impressed us. Their blend of HR expertise and technological know-how is precisely what is required to facilitate the long-term digital transformation of medium-sized businesses. We are delighted to support Emerge on this journey as an investor.”