Helpster secures US$2.5 mil Pre-Series A funding

• Fund will be used in accelerating technology and sales
• Offer on-demand staffing platform by handling entire staffing processes

ONLINE temporary staffing platform Helpster announced that it closed a pre-series A funding round of US$2.5 million led by Mojo Partners and Wavemaker partners. All of Helpster’s existing investors also participated in the round.

Helpster chief executive officer Mathew Ward said the funding will go toward accelerating the product and the technology behind it, as well as investing in sales. Since launching in Jan 2016, the company has raised US$5 million. It currently has 60 staff across Indonesia and Thailand, the two key markets it currently serves.

Helpster was co-founded by Ward and John Srivorakul, who in the past co-founded Admax Network, Ardent Capital, Ensogo, and aCommerce. The duo has worked together for 10 years in Southeast Asia’s (SEA) startup scene.

Helpster is often compared to job search websites or traditional job agencies, but these comparisons are inaccurate. Helpster claims to be more than just a simple app for job-hunting.

“Helpster is different because we operate more like a staffing agency in that we manage the staffing process end-to-end. This includes screening, interviewing, and even payments. Ultimately, we are reinventing the staffing agency model in the region,” Ward explained.

Time is of the essence for both businesses and employees who value flexibility and reliability in one another. Some will argue that the traditional job-seeking formula is no longer enough to satisfy either party’s need.

For many, it is considered an inefficient method in today’s fast-paced working environment. Businesses that utilize small temp staffing agencies – most often in an attempt to save time -- end up spending thousands of dollars more than they needed to.

Helpster steps in as an on-demand staffing platform that provides businesses with instant access to qualified staff for temporary work as well as contract hiring needs.

It provides workers with a fast and effective way to make money. It’s a technology-driven solution that takes care of worker screening, attendance management, fair and timely payments, and more.

The platform benefits both businesses and employees in a number of ways. For businesses, it's a one-stop solution that pre-screens candidates, which allows companies to save time and improve reliability.

It also lets companies hire within minutes, drastically reducing the amount of time it takes to get workers on site.

With Helpster, businesses are empowered to run a more flexible workforce that is suited for the right jobs.

Staff, on the other hand, are able to choose the jobs they want to work and decide when they want to work. The power to build their own schedules and earn more money when it’s needed puts them behind the steering wheel.

This is done via Helpster’s smartphone app that notifies employees when a job becomes available or is assigned to them. Helpster also ensures users are paid weekly with all the necessary worker protections, making late payments and money worries a thing of the past for temp workers.

Ward adds that going digital is hugely important in Southeast Asia, where mobile adoption is at an all-time high. “There are 100 million workers in SEA who work in semi-skilled jobs in service industries. 40 percent of them are under contract or take casual work assignments.

“Most of them have traditionally found work via offline channels, such as word-of-mouth, or via traditional staffing agencies, yet the majority now prefer to use their smartphones. This has opened up the way for technology to improve the way businesses and these workers find and engage with each other.”

In Bangkok and Jakarta, Helpster has successfully assisted thousands of qualified workers to find temporary employment each month. The business claims to have a 100% month-on-month growth rate in terms of the number of days worked by its users.

Some of the platform’s key early customers in Thailand include aCommerce, Central Group, Sephora, Grab, and Uber. In Indonesia, Helpster secured important early partnerships Ismaya Group, Lazada, and Union Group.

Helpster takes care of delivering all part-time and casual staffing needs, including service crews for F&B players, warehouse workers for e-commerce and logistics companies, and promotional staff for ride-hailing apps.

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