Lever combined an ATS and a CRM into one platform — letting companies track both active candidates and future prospects in a single system. The idea was that recruiting should work like sales: always be building a pipeline, not just reacting to open roles. Netflix, Shopify, and KPMG used it. Then Employ Inc. (which also owns JazzHR and Jobvite) acquired Lever, merging it into a larger recruiting software conglomerate. The indie darling got absorbed into the mothership.
Founded
2012
HQ
San Francisco, USA
Total Raised
$122 million
Founder
Sarah Nahm, Nate Smith, Randal Macdonald
Status
Acquired by Employ Inc.
Website
www.lever.coTHE ORIGIN STORY
Sarah Nahm, Nate Smith, and Randal Macdonald founded Lever in San Francisco in 2012. They saw that existing ATS tools were designed for processing applications — purely reactive.
But the best recruiting teams operated proactively, building relationships with potential candidates before roles even opened.
Lever was designed to combine the ATS (tracking active candidates) with a CRM (nurturing passive candidates). The hybrid approach was novel and resonated with talent teams at fast-growing tech companies.
WHAT THEY ACTUALLY DO
SaaS subscription with annual contracts. Lever charged per-recruiter or per-company fees depending on the plan.
The product served mid-market and enterprise companies. Revenue came from platform subscriptions and add-on features like advanced analytics and integrations.
THE PRODUCTS
LeverTRM — the combined ATS and CRM platform. Nurture campaigns for passive candidates.
Advanced analytics and pipeline reporting. DEI features including anonymized resume review and diversity analytics.
Integration marketplace connecting to 300+ HR and productivity tools.
HOW THEY GREW
Lever grew through the tech startup ecosystem, similar to Greenhouse. The ATS+CRM combination was a genuine differentiator that talent leaders sought out.
Integrations with other HR tools and job boards expanded the platform’s utility.
THE HARD PART
The ATS market is fragmented and competitive. Greenhouse, Ashby, Workable, and enterprise players like iCIMS all compete for the same customers.
Lever was eventually acquired by Employ Inc. in 2022, merging with JazzHR and Jobvite to create a larger but potentially less focused recruiting software company.
MONEY TRAIL
Seed
2013 · Led by Y Combinator
$2M raised
Series A
2014 · Led by Matrix Partners
$10M raised
Series B
2016 · Led by Scale Venture Partners
$20M raised
Series C
2019 · Led by Adams Street Partners
$40M raised
WHO BACKED THEM
Matrix Partners led early rounds. Other investors include Scale Venture Partners, Y Combinator, and Adams Street Partners.
Total funding of $122 million before the Employ Inc. acquisition.
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