Connectifier
{{Short description|American technology company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Connectifier, Inc.
| logo = File:Connectifier_logo.png
| company_type = Subsidiary
| industry = Internet, Recruitment
| foundation = California, United States ({{Start date|2011|12}})
| founder = John Jersin
Benjamin McCann
| location_city = 1000 W Maude Ave, Sunnyvale, California
| parent = LinkedIn (2016-present)
| website = {{URL|https://www.connectifier.com/}}
| location_country = United States
}}
Connectifier was an American company that developed machine learning-based searching and matching technology to help recruiters and hiring managers find talent.{{Cite web |last=Lunden |first=Ingrid |date=2015-10-27 |title=Connectifier Raises $6M More For Its AI-Based Recruitment Search |url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/27/connectifier-raises-6m-more-for-its-ai-based-recruitment-search/ |access-date=2018-04-03 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Florentine |first=Sharon |date=2015-11-30 |title=Is Connectifier the next LinkedIn for recruiters? |language=en |work=CIO.com |url=https://www.cio.com/article/242761/is-connectifier-the-next-linkedin-for-recruiters.html |access-date=2018-04-03}} The company was acquired by LinkedIn in February 2016 and operated as a wholly owned subsidiary until April 2020.{{Cite news |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2016/02/05/sold-to-linkedin-oc-job-headhunter-startup-connectifier-will-move-to-bay-area/ |title=Sold to LinkedIn: O.C. job headhunter startup Connectifier will move to Bay Area |date=2016-02-05 |work=Orange County Register |access-date=2018-04-03 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=LinkedIn's Acquisition of Connectifier |url=https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/67407/linkedin-s-acquisition-of-connectifier |access-date=2018-04-03 |website=LinkedIn Help |language=en}} The company had roughly 50 employees at the time of acquisition and drew its bench of AI talent from prestigious institutions including Google, Amazon, Stanford, Microsoft Research, NASA, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, and Berkeley National Lab.
History
Connectifier was founded in 2011 by John Jersin and Benjamin McCann.{{Cite web |title=Connectifier, Inc.: Private Company Information |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=304125162 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143906/https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=304125162 |archive-date=2018-06-12 |access-date=2018-04-03 |website=Bloomberg}}{{Cite web |title=Ex-Googlers Raise $6M For Connectifier, An AI Approach To Recruitment Search – TechCrunch |url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/06/16/ex-googlers-raise-6m-for-connectifier-an-ai-approach-to-recruitment-search/ |access-date=2018-04-03 |website=Techcrunch |date=16 June 2015 |language=en-US}}
At the time of its acquisition, Connectifier had raised a total of $12 million across three rounds of funding.{{cite news |title=Why Does LinkedIn Need Connectifier? |url=https://www.ere.net/why-does-linkedin-need-connectifier/ |access-date=14 October 2021 |publisher=ERE Media |date=7 February 2016}} In 2013, the company participated in Class 4 of Launchpad LA.{{Cite web |last=Carney |first=Michael |date=2013-01-04 |title=Launchpad LA doubles down on accelerator, now offering companies $100k |url=https://pandodaily.com/2013/01/04/launchpad-la-doubles-down-on-accelerator-now-offering-companies-100k/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623152603/https://pando.com/2013/01/04/launchpad-la-doubles-down-on-accelerator-now-offering-companies-100k/ |archive-date=2015-06-23 |website=Pando Daily}}{{Cite web |title=LaunchpadLA Application Deadline Nears, As Class Graduates - socaltech.com |url=https://www.socaltech.com/launchpadla_application_deadline_nears_as_class_graduates/s-0047627.html |access-date=2022-09-22 |website=www.socaltech.com}}{{Cite web |date=2013-02-09 |title=TechZulu • Meet Launchpad LA's Graduating Startups |url=http://techzulu.com/meet-launchpad-las-graduating-startups/ |access-date=2022-09-22 |website=TechZulu |language=en-US}} The company announced it secured Series A financing of $6 million on June 16, 2015.{{Cite news |title=Connectifier Announces $6 Million in Series A and Launches Search Powered Recruiting Software |language=en-US |work=Yahoo Finance |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/connectifier-announces-6-million-series-110000197.html |access-date=2018-04-03}}{{Cite news |url=https://trueventures.com/congratulating-connectifier-on-their-series-a-raise/ |title=Congratulating Connectifier on Their Series A Raise |date=2015-06-16 |work=True Ventures |access-date=2018-04-03 |language=en-US}} In October of 2015, the company raised an additional $6 million in Series B financing.{{Cite web |date=2015-10-28 |title=Connectifier in $6M Funding Round |url=http://www.ocbj.com/news/2015/oct/28/connectifier-6m-funding-round/ |access-date=2018-04-03 |website=Orange County Business Journal}}
By 2015, the company was reported to have grown at a rate of nearly 500% annually reaching a run rate of $10 million in annual recurring revenue 18 months after launch.{{cite news |title=Connectifier Raises $6M In Series B For Search Driven Recruiting Software |url=https://www.socaltech.com/connectifier_raises_6m_in_series_b_for_search_driven_recruiting_software/s-0062575.html |access-date=14 October 2021 |date=28 October 2015}} It was reported later that year that Connectifier had tens of thousands of recruiters as clients and was delivering two to four times as many candidates as LinkedIn.{{Cite web |date=2015-12-03 |title=LinkedIn says big data helps small firms reap big rewards from its recruitment services, but rival Connectifier vows better results |url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/1886431/linkedin-says-big-data-helps-small-firms-reap-big-rewards-its |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Weldon |first=David |date=2015-06-06 |title=Connectifier hopes to revolutionize passive tech-recuiting with new BI approach |url=http://www.fiercecio.com/story/connectifier-hopes-revolutionize-passive-tech-recuiting-new-bi-approach/2015-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622141729/http://www.fiercecio.com/story/connectifier-hopes-revolutionize-passive-tech-recuiting-new-bi-approach/2015-06-16 |archive-date=2015-06-22 |website=Fierce CIO}} By 2016, Connectifier's customers included over 40% of the Fortune 100.{{Cite web|date=2016-03-23|title=Connectifier - Recruiting Intelligence|url=https://www.connectifier.com/|access-date=2021-07-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323110618/https://www.connectifier.com/|archive-date=2016-03-23}}{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Parker |date=2016-03-15 |title=How the Acquisition of Connectifier Could Benefit LinkedIn |url=http://finance.yahoo.com/news/acquisition-connectifier-could-benefit-linkedin-011246712.html |access-date=2022-09-22 |website=Yahoo Finance |language=en-US}}
LinkedIn announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the company on February 4, 2016.{{Cite web |title=LinkedIn Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2015 Results |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1271024/000127102416000033/a20151231-earningsrelease.htm |access-date=2018-04-03 |website=www.sec.gov}}{{Cite news |date=2016-02-05 |title=Connectifier Acquired by LinkedIn |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/DJFVW00120160204ec24u0pbm |access-date=2022-09-21 |issn=0099-9660}}{{Cite web |last=Novet |first=Jordan |date=2016-02-04 |title=LinkedIn acquires recruiting startup Connectifier |url=https://venturebeat.com/business/linkedin-acquires-recruiting-startup-connectifier/ |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}}
Connectifier's technology and features were integrated into LinkedIn Recruiter and Microsoft Bing and the product was sunset as a standalone offering on April 30, 2020.{{Cite web|date=2020-03-12|title=Breaking Connectifier is Officially Shutting Down|url=https://wizardsourcer.com/breaking-connectifier-is-officially-shutting-down/|access-date=2020-10-20|website=WizardSourcer|language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Connectifier Is No Longer Available |url=https://www.linkedin.com/help/recruiter/answer/a419342/connectifier-is-no-longer-available?lang=en |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=LinkedIn Recruiter Help |language=en}}