WhyBrilliant raises €1M to scale AI job matching, backed by Merantix

Berlin-based hiring platform WhyBrilliant has launched publicly with €1 million in pre-seed funding from Merantix. The company is developing an AI-powered recruitment platform designed to help professionals find suitable roles through conversational AI rather than traditional job applications. WhyBrilliant was founded by Patrick Böert and Aleksander Heimrath in response to growing frustrations with conventional hiring processes. As recruitment increasingly relies on automated screening tools, candidates often face lengthy application processes with limited feedback, while employers struggle to identify suitable talent efficiently. The company takes a different approach to hiring by reversing the traditional application model. Instead of candidates searching and applying for jobs, WhyBrilliant uses a pair of AI agents to represent both sides of the recruitment process. One agent engages with candidates to understand their skills, experience, and career goals, while another works with employers to understand hiring requirements. Candidates are only introduced to hiring teams when a strong match is identified. Every job platform built in the last twenty years asked candidates to do more — more applications, more keywords, more tailoring. We think that’s the bug, not the feature. On WhyBrilliant, talent doesn’t apply. Jobs are delivered to them and companies can request a meeting. That inversion changes everything downstream — who has leverage, who does the work, what “match” actually means, said Patrick Böert, co-founder & CEO of WhyBrilliant. The company has spent recent months building its talent network, attracting more than a thousand mid-career technology professionals across Germany, including senior specialists, lead-level operators, and first-time managers. WhyBrilliant’s platform is built around two AI agents: Nova, which represents job seekers and continuously searches for relevant opportunities, and Atlas, which supports employers by helping create pre-screened candidate shortlists. The company operates on a success-based model, generating revenue only when a hire is completed. The new funding will support further product development, platform expansion, and the growth of the company’s talent and employer network as it seeks to reshape how professionals and companies connect in the hiring process.