Scooter raises $180K pre-seed led by AJVC for sales hiring platform

Scooter Raises $180K Pre-Seed Led by AJVC

Pune-based recruitment technology startup Scooter has raised a $180,000 pre-seed round led by AJVC. The funding was announced on October 5, 2026.

What Scooter Does

Scooter focuses on sales hiring for startups and corporates. Rather than screening candidates by resume, the platform sources verified sales professionals and evaluates them through practical, scenario-based sales assessments and behavioral exercises.

The result for hiring managers is a curated shortlist of three to five candidates. Assessment videos can be reviewed before candidates' CVs, shifting the evaluation process toward demonstrated capability rather than credentials.

Company Background

Scooter was founded in 2024 by Kartik Mandrekar and Saumya Seth.

Traction

The company works with more than 50 clients and draws on a pool of over 10,000 sales candidates.

The Round at a Glance

• Company: Scooter
• Headquarters: Pune
• Founded: 2024
• Founders: Kartik Mandrekar and Saumya Seth
• Round: Pre-Seed
• Amount: $180,000 USD
• Lead Investor: AJVC
• Announced: October 5, 2026

Why It Matters

Sales hiring is a high-volume, high-stakes function where traditional resume screening often fails to predict on-the-job performance. Scooter's approach — verified candidates, scenario-based assessments, behavioral exercises and video review — targets that gap directly.

The company's focus on startups and corporates, combined with a candidate pool exceeding 10,000 sales professionals and more than 50 clients, positions it in a niche where assessment quality is the core differentiator.

At the pre-seed stage, the $180,000 round led by AJVC provides early capital to develop the platform and expand client coverage in the sales recruitment market.