Vektor AI, based in London, has just secured over €2.4 million to disrupt the mentorship paradigm and provide access to expert career advice and direction. After six months of beta testing, the firm, formed by a husband-and-wife team, is officially live.
Mass layoffs, ‘quiet-quitting,’ the rise of remote working, workcation, and skill shortages are just a few of the topics that have recently dominated the news regarding the workplace. Since the epidemic, it appears that the way we work and the expectations and goals of employees have irreconcilably shifted.
These changes have had a significant impact on millennial and GenZ employees. Now, these generations are searching for methods to feel more fulfilled in their professions, to have access to excellent mentoring and professional career advice, and to do it in a manner that is compatible with flexible and remote work arrangements. It has resulted in the recent launch of a variety of mentorship and staff training platforms. After gaining new funding, Vektor AI has debuted in an effort to pursue a novel strategy that is better suited to younger generations.
The Specifics Of Vektor AI
Pre-seed funding garnered €2.4 million ($2.5 million)
Cherry Ventures and Mosaic Ventures led the funding round. Angel investors Bradley Horowitz (Google), Deb Liu (Ancestry), Ujjwal Singh (Meta), Paul Forster (Indeed), and Phil Chambers (Peakon), among others, also participated.
Vektor AI was founded in 2021 by the husband-and-wife team of Anna Buldakova and Victor Buldakov, who brought their combined experience from Meta, WhatsApp, Zalando, N26, and Intercom to the table. Vektor AI is a mentoring platform for professionals seeking to progress or alter their careers.
Anna Buldakova, co-founder and chief executive officer of Vektor AI, says, “Mentorship is the most effective approach to move to a new field or acquire new skills. However, as a result of the shifting employment market, it is now more difficult than ever for startup employees to locate relevant mentors. With Vektor AI, you receive direct professional advice from someone who has walked in your shoes and can assist you in achieving your goals.“
The application enables users to communicate in real-time with a mentor who has expertise in the job and field in which the mentee want to advance. Using information such as employment history, education, professional aspirations, and talents, the platform matches mentees with mentors who can provide guidance and assistance with training, development, and tangible next steps. Some mentors offer their guidance and expertise for free, while others do so for a fee. As a result, everyone now has access to high-quality training, regardless of their financial situation.
Victor Buldakov, co-founder and chief technology officer of Vektor AI, explains: “We developed Vektor to ensure that individuals who prefer to work in small enterprises have access to the same degree of career development and assistance as those in larger organizations.“
Vektor AI, in contrast to conventional mentorship methods, offers a more accessible and democratized mentorship model that aims to facilitate rapid career advancement and tangible benefits for anyone.
Dinika Mahtani, Principal of Cherry Ventures, states, “Careers are significant. Accessing, navigating, and developing significant professional paths are not nearly as straightforward as they should be. This is being altered by Anna, Victor, and their expanding and varied team, which is assisting mid-level and senior-level tech professionals in gaining greater career clarity. Vektor’s AI expertise, science-based curriculum, and community-driven background and philosophy will make careers a journey, not a ladder.
With a new generation entering the workforce remotely for the first time, the pandemic triggering a search for more meaningful careers, and mass lay-offs leaving individuals in need of new skills, advice, and training, as well as guidance on becoming self-employed, the demand for personalized, professional, and relevant career support is greater than ever.
Toby Coppel, co-founder and partner of Mosaic Ventures, states, “Millennials and Generation Z are abandoning the corporate ladder in favor of remote employment, startup positions, and greater flexibility. While this offers numerous benefits, many miss out on the advantages of working for a corporation, such as the chance to create relationships organically with seasoned leaders and access to possible mentors. This is a problem that Vektor intends to alleviate by linking tech talent with mentors in their sector. Anna and Victor are the best teams we can imagine for expanding this firm.
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