Dex has raised USD $5.3 million in seed funding in a round led by Notion Capital.
The funding brings the London-based recruitment technology company's total to USD $8.4 million, following an earlier USD $3.1 million pre-seed round.
Dex operates an AI talent-matching service for software engineers and technology employers. More than 15,000 engineers have signed up to use the tool, and more than 50 technology companies are using it to source hires.
The new funding will support research and development in AI matching, product development, and expansion in the US, with a focus on New York and San Francisco.
Product approach
Its product is designed to hold extended conversations with candidates to build profiles of their experience, motivations, ambitions, and values. A newer version supports both voice and text interactions. The system then presents roles it considers a fit and helps candidates research employers, compare pay, and prepare for interviews.
On the employer side, Dex gathers information about hiring teams, open roles, and the traits of high performers within those organisations. When both sides appear to match, it makes direct introductions to hiring teams.
The company is entering a recruitment market that remains large and heavily intermediated. Dex cited annual global spending on agency fees of nearly USD $1 trillion, while Notion Capital put the recruitment industry at USD $856 billion.
Paddy Lambros, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dex, said: "Traditional recruitment is often unsuccessful and, so far, AI hasn't helped much. We're currently seeing an AI 'arms race' to the bottom, with companies being flooded by AI-generated applications, while individuals are often subjected to inhumane - and unethical - screening. Dex offers an alternative. We're excited about this seed funding, which will drive our ambition of redefining how talent and opportunity connect."
Market traction
Dex has so far focused on the software engineering market, where companies often face long hiring cycles and strong competition for experienced candidates. That focus has helped it gain early commercial traction.
According to the company, it began charging for the product in late 2025 and has grown from no revenue to an annualised revenue run rate of USD $1.8 million. That gives investors an early measure of demand as Dex looks to expand beyond its home market.
Lambros said the company's approach is based on building a fuller picture of both workers and jobs than is typical in conventional recruitment processes.
"We believe that meaningful work matters, and people find fulfilment if they care about what they do. Too many people are working in jobs they don't like, doing work they don't care about, on problems that don't matter. This is why it is important to gain a full picture of the individual and the job openings, so Dex can find the right fit for them," he said.
Investor backing
Notion Capital's backing gives Dex support from a software investor with a long track record in European business technology companies. Other participants in the round included a16z Speedrun, Concept Ventures 2100, and angel investors from OpenAI and other organisations, according to Dex.
Kamil Mieczakowski, Partner at Notion Capital, said: "The inner workings of the $856 billion recruitment industry have barely changed in decades. Despite the proliferation of software, the cost to hire continues to go up, while both candidates and hiring managers are given an inferior experience that optimises for all the wrong things. In an ocean of products prioritising employers, Dex acts as a partner to the candidate, creating trust in a way that today's recruiters rarely can. Dex is already working with some of the most exciting tech companies in Europe and the US, providing them with top-quality technical talent, and we're very excited to be supporting them on this next chapter of their journey."
Dex is part of a broader wave of recruitment technology companies trying to apply generative AI to hiring. Many are targeting screening, sourcing, and outreach, but Dex is positioning itself around matching and candidate guidance rather than high-volume application processing.
That comes as employers and jobseekers grapple with a hiring process that has become increasingly automated. Companies have adopted software tools for tracking applicants and filtering CVs, while candidates now have access to AI tools that can generate applications at scale, increasing volumes for recruiters and often making it harder to assess fit.
Dex argues that conversational data can provide a more nuanced assessment than keywords on a CV or a standard application form. Its pitch to employers is that this can reduce time spent sorting through unsuitable candidates, while its pitch to workers is a more tailored route into relevant roles.
With fresh funding in place, Dex is preparing for a broader push into the US technology hiring market while continuing to develop the product from London. It said it is on track to reach an annualised revenue run rate of USD $1.8 million this year.