Headstart, a platform that leverages data science to help companies reduce unconscious bias in the hiring process, has raised $7 million in a seed round of funding led by AI-focused Silicon Valley VC firm FoundersX, with participation from Founders Factory. Launched out of London in 2017, Headstart is one of a growing number of startups promising to help companies increase their diversity during recruitment drives. This is achieved through combining machine learning with myriad data sources to find the best candidates based on specific objective criteria. "The machine -- the algorithms and models -- does this without emotion; fatigue; or overt subjective, conscious, or subconscious opinion or feeling. Unlike a human," Headstart cofounder and chair Nicholas Shekerdemian told VentureBeat.

Headstart, a platform that leverages data science to help companies reduce unconscious bias in the hiring process, has raised $7 million in a seed round of funding led by AI-focused Silicon Valley VC firm FoundersX, with participation from Founders Factory. Founded out of London in 2017, Headstart is one of a growing number of startups that promise to help companies increase their diversity during recruitment drives. This is achieved through combining machine learning with myriad data sources to find the best candidates based on specific objective criteria. "The machine -- the algorithms and models -- does this without emotion, fatigue, or overt subjective, conscious or subconscious opinion or feeling," Headstart cofounder and chairman Nicholas Sherekdemain told VentureBeat. This internal data is reviewed for built-in bias, so if there is a clear leaning toward a specific demographic this can be addressed in subsequent hiring campaigns.

Headstart, a platform that leverages data science to help companies reduce unconscious bias in the hiring process, has raised $7 million in a seed round of funding led by AI-focused Silicon Valley VC firm FoundersX, with participation from Founders Factory. Founded out of London in 2017, Headstart is one of a growing number of startups that promise to help companies increase their diversity during recruitment drives. This is achieved through combining machine learning with myriad data sources to find the best candidates based on specific objective criteria. "The machine -- the algorithms and models -- does this without emotion, fatigue, or overt subjective, conscious or subconscious opinion or feeling," Headstart cofounder and chairman Nicholas Sherekdemain told VentureBeat. This internal data is reviewed for built-in bias, so if there is a clear leaning toward a specific demographic this can be addressed in subsequent hiring campaigns.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly a part of how businesses stay competitive – they're using it to predict customer behaviour, automate tasks, personalise customer experiences, manage supply chains and more. And AI-powered technology isn't just for large enterprises – many small businesses are also enjoying the benefits of AI. It comes as no surprise that nearly three-quarters of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will invest in software and apps over the next year, according to a 2018 Vistage survey. But would you have guessed that – along with CRM – AI tops the list of technologies that SMBs are planning to invest in? At Dreamforce 2018, Vistage's Chief Research Officer, Joe Galvin, shared the whats, hows and whys of AI for small and medium-sized businesses in the session'Customer Insights: How AI Is Revolutionising SMBs Today'.

Machine intelligence startups are the black sheep of the startup world. The new kids on the block are challenging investors to do their technical homework and differentiate themselves in intentional ways. Y Combinator joined a growing list of investors offering exclusive services to these companies in a specialized AI track for its latest S17 batch of startups. In the competitive world of investing, Y Combinator has to work to convince top startups to apply to the program. Today, many startups that fit the bill are working to solve challenging AI problems.