AINA, a Limassol-based AI hiring startup, has secured $1 million in seed funding to expand its integrated recruitment platform aimed at both employers and job candidates. The company positions its technology as a response to growing inefficiencies in modern hiring, where AI-generated applications and automated screening often prevent qualified candidates from reaching human interviews. The funding comes from a private, undisclosed angel investor and will support product development and scaling efforts.
Rising complexity in hiring
Employers are facing unprecedented application volumes, with some roles attracting hundreds of candidates generated or optimized by AI tools. At the same time, recruiters increasingly rely on automation to manage workloads, creating a cycle where algorithms assess other algorithms rather than people. This dynamic can increase the risk of poor hiring decisions, which companies estimate can cost up to 30% of an employee’s first-year salary when accounting for onboarding, lost productivity, and rehiring.
AINA’s founding vision
AINA was founded by Natallia Mikhnovets, who drew on firsthand experience scaling teams in fast-growing companies. She has described the core problem as a limitation in recruiter capacity rather than a shortage of qualified talent in the market. That insight led to the development of a system designed to replicate the structure, reasoning, and consistency of an effective human recruiter.
Funding and expansion plans
The $1 million seed round will be used to advance AINA’s platform across recruiting workflows, applicant screening, analytics, and candidate coaching. The company said the funding will also support the rollout of its broader hiring ecosystem to additional customers. AINA did not disclose a timeline for expansion or revenue targets associated with the round.
An integrated hiring platform
AINA describes its product as a single platform serving both sides of the hiring process, combining AI interviewing tools, analytics, and an applicant tracking system. The company emphasizes the use of explainable AI, which provides reasoning behind candidate assessments to support faster and more transparent decisions. According to AINA, this approach enables employers to automate up to 80% of early-stage recruitment tasks while maintaining clarity and fairness.
Support for candidates
On the candidate side, the platform includes an AI Career Coach designed to assist with career planning and interview preparation. The coach generates role suggestions based on skills, builds career roadmaps, and simulates interview scenarios. AINA says the goal is to ensure candidates are better prepared when they reach later-stage, human-led interviews.
Traction and performance claims
AINA reports that it has conducted more than 2,000 interviews and supported companies in filling over 300 roles. The company said that in these cases, all hires successfully completed probation, with no terminations attributed to poor role fit. It also claims clients have saved more than $600,000 in hiring costs and reduced time-to-hire by as much as 80%, though it did not disclose detailed methodologies behind these figures.
Market positioning and team
The startup enters a competitive market that includes AI-powered hiring tools such as Jack & Jill, Welcome to the Jungle, WizeHire, and hireEZ. Mikhnovets argues that AINA differentiates itself by operating as an end-to-end ecosystem rather than a standalone tool. Internally, the company reports a team of 14 people with an equal gender split, reflecting an intentional focus on diversity from its early stages.
AINA’s funding round highlights continued investor interest in AI-driven solutions for recruitment amid rising pressure on HR teams. By targeting both employer efficiency and candidate preparedness, the company aims to reduce hiring risk and decision delays caused by excessive automation. As AI adoption accelerates across the labor market, AINA’s progress will be watched as a test of whether integrated, explainable systems can improve outcomes for all participants.