MeritFirst raises $6M+ seed to put merit back at the center of hiring
Co-led by 8VC and Slow Ventures, with participation from Guillermo Rauch.
Hiring is in rough shape. Outdated proxies (e.g., schools, logos, buzzwords) drown out signal. Great people get filtered out; companies miss out. We’ve been heads-down building what we believe needs to exist in the world: a ground-up hiring platform where people are evaluated by ability, not pedigree.
What we’re building
- Objective evaluation: structured scoring rubrics and data-driven insights that inform the humans who make final decisions.
- Capability graph: role‑specific, scenario‑based work samples that measure planning, problem solving, learning agility, execution, and domain skills.
- LLM‑enabled scale: consistent test design, evaluation, and continuous learning, without turning hiring into a black box.
Early traction
We’re live across a range of roles and customers, including HelloPatient (across all functions), OffDeal (investment banking), Meadow Memorials (sales & G&A), and Avila VC (Chief of Staff). The consistent feedback: teams are hiring excellent candidates, many they might otherwise have missed.
Why it matters
- Candidates: a real shot to demonstrate capability, irrespective of background, and a portable performance profile.
- Companies: stronger signal, faster cycles, better teams, happier customers.
- Recruiters: higher throughput and quality while focusing on high‑value candidates.
Our promise
- To candidates: you deserve a fair chance to compete; the effort you put in should open more doors.
- To companies: hire for proven ability, evaluate consistently and fairly, move fast.
Our mission
Now more than ever, “elite” should refer to abilities, not appearances, and at MeritFirst, economic and societal concerns are not only coequal, but inseparable. Historian James Truslow Adams coined the phrase “American Dream” in 1931’s The Epic of America. Almost a century later, we’re committed to the future he envisioned:
“A social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.”
America thrives when merit does. We’re here to keep the American Dream alive.
Get involved
- Companies / design partners: pilot MeritFirst to upgrade your talent signal.
- Candidates: sign up and take a functional assessment (engineering, sales, finance, accounting, etc.) as a “common app” to fast‑track with partner companies.
- Engineers: join us and help build the toolkit of meritocracy.
-The MeritFirst team