Startups > Karat

Karat

Karat helps tech companies scale technical hiring through a 24/7 interviewer network.

Series C $248M total Founded 2014 United States

Karat operates the world's largest technical interviewing cloud platform, connecting companies with a vetted network of 24/7 interviewers to conduct fair, consistent technical screens at scale. Rather than burdening internal engineering teams with interview responsibilities, Karat handles candidate assessment using standardized rubrics, interview formats, and AI-enhanced evaluation. The platform serves enterprise and growth-stage tech companies looking to screen hundreds or thousands of engineering candidates annually while reducing hiring bias and improving candidate experience.

Problem solved

Engineering teams spend significant time on technical interviews instead of building product, leading to bottlenecks in hiring and inconsistent candidate evaluation across interviewers.

Target customer

Series B+ tech companies and Fortune 500 enterprises hiring engineering talent at scale (hundreds to thousands of candidates annually). Primary buyers include tech firms (Roblox, Intuit, Indeed) and non-tech enterprises building engineering teams (American Express, Ford, Bank of America).

Website LinkedIn Crunchbase

Founders

Mohit Bhende

CEO & Co-Founder

Led global strategy for Xbox at Microsoft, closing $700M+ in M&A deals; previously strategy consultant at Oliver Wyman. MBA from Wharton, MPhil in Game Theory from Cambridge.

Jeffrey Spector

President & Co-Founder

Chief of Staff at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation researching economic disparity; focused on reducing bias and unfairness in hiring processes.

Funding history

Seed $2.3M November 2015 Led by 8VC · Unknown

Series A $11.3M May 2017 Led by Norwest Venture Partners · Unknown

Series B $28M May 2019 Led by Tiger Global Management · Unknown

Venture Round $17.5M October 2020 Led by Tiger Global Management · Unknown

Series C $110M April 2022 Led by Tiger Global Management · Base Partners, Serena Williams (angel)

Total raised: $248M

Industries

Analytics Recruiting Information Technology SaaS Software Engineering

Pricing

Per-interview model: $200–$450 per technical interview. Standard 45–60 minute screens baseline; 90+ minute interviews, specialized assessments (system design, data science), and custom rubrics command 20–40% premiums. White-glove onboarding, dedicated interviewer pools, advanced analytics, and API integrations add 10–20% to contract value. Volume discounts available (500+ interviews/year typically negotiated at $250–$350 per interview).

Notable customers

Roblox, American Express, Intuit, Compass, Wayfair, Ford, Bank of America, Indeed

Website

karat.com/

Competitors

Interviewing.io

Lower per-interview rates (10–20% cheaper) for similar volume tiers; primary alternative for mid-market deployments.

Bar Raiser

Broader interview orchestration platform with less focus on network-based distributed interviewing.

FloCareer

Alternative interviewer marketplace with different quality control and pricing model.

HackerRank

Emphasizes coding assessments and automated challenges; less focus on live human technical interviewing.

CodeSignal

Broader coding assessment platform with live interview add-on; weaker in distributed interview infrastructure.

Woven

Lightweight interview coordination tool; lacks Karat's vetted interviewer network and scale.

TestGorilla

Assessment-first platform; less emphasis on live technical interviewing and interviewer quality control.

Why this matters: Karat has established the market category of distributed technical interviewing at scale, raising $248M and processing 500+ interviews daily across companies like Roblox and American Express. The January 2025 acquisition of Byteboard and recent launch of AI-enabled NextGen Interviews signals aggressive innovation in assessment automation, positioning Karat at the intersection of hiring operations and AI talent evaluation.

Best for: Series B+ and enterprise tech companies conducting 500+ technical interviews annually who need to remove interview burden from engineering teams while maintaining consistency and fairness in candidate evaluation.

Use cases

Scaling hiring without overloading engineering teams

A mid-stage SaaS company doubling headcount needs to screen 200 candidates monthly. Instead of pulling engineers into 30+ hours of interviews, Karat's network handles all screens, freeing engineers to focus on shipping. The company gets standardized feedback and data on all candidates within 24 hours.

Reducing interviewer bias and improving candidate experience

A Fortune 500 company historically had inconsistent interview quality and concerns about fairness. Karat's vetted interviewers use research-backed rubrics and standardized formats, reducing bias while candidates report better experiences. The company gains anonymized insights into hiring process bottlenecks and interviewer performance.

Conducting 24/7 global technical screening

An international SaaS platform hiring globally can't coordinate timezone-friendly interviews with internal teams. Karat's always-on network conducts interviews in real time across regions, accelerating time-to-hire and supporting 500+ daily interviews across all customers without scheduling friction.

Alternatives

Interviewing.io Cheaper per-interview rates and lighter-weight platform; best if cost is primary driver and you don't need white-glove onboarding or advanced analytics.

Internal recruiting team + HackerRank DIY approach using coding assessments first, then internal interviews; viable for smaller hiring volumes but sacrifices scale and consistency.

Bar Raiser Broader interview orchestration with some distributed interviewer access; best if you want a more flexible platform that isn't purely network-based.

FAQ

What does Karat do? +

Karat operates a 24/7 technical interviewing cloud powered by a vetted network of interviewers who conduct remote technical screens for companies. Rather than using internal engineers, companies outsource technical interviews to Karat's platform, receiving standardized scoring, candidate feedback, and hiring process insights. The platform is designed to enable companies to interview hundreds or thousands of candidates consistently and fairly.

How much does Karat cost? +

Karat charges $200–$450 per technical interview, with volume discounts available for companies conducting 500+ interviews annually (typically $250–$350 per interview). Extended interviews, specialized assessments, and custom services (white-glove onboarding, advanced analytics, dedicated account management) incur additional fees, potentially adding 10–40% to total contract value.

What are alternatives to Karat? +

Top alternatives include Interviewing.io (cheaper per-interview rates, lighter platform), Bar Raiser (broader interview orchestration), FloCareer (alternative interviewer marketplace), HackerRank (coding assessments focus), and internal recruiting paired with lightweight coordination tools. Each trades off cost, scale, and feature breadth differently.

Who uses Karat? +

Karat serves Series B+ tech companies and Fortune 500 enterprises hiring engineers at scale. Notable customers include Roblox, Intuit, American Express, Compass, Wayfair, Ford, Bank of America, and Indeed. A typical day sees 500 interviews conducted across all customers.

How does Karat compare to Interviewing.io? +

Both operate interviewer networks for outsourced technical interviews, but Karat is positioned as premium/enterprise with higher per-interview rates, white-glove services, advanced analytics, and AI-enhanced evaluation. Interviewing.io is typically 10–20% cheaper and more self-service oriented. Karat targets larger volume deployments (500+/year); Interviewing.io suits mid-market and cost-conscious buyers.