Laborup

High-Level Overview

Laborup is an AI-powered hiring platform specializing in the manufacturing sector, connecting skilled blue-collar workers—such as machinists, welders, and CNC programmers—with employers in industries like energy, aerospace, and automotive.[1][2][3][4] It solves the acute labor shortage in American manufacturing by automating screening, matching, and coordination, enabling hires in under three weeks versus the industry average of two to three months, with over 90% retention rates and more than 50% cost savings for companies.[1][2][4][5] Laborup serves manufacturers struggling to find talent not active on platforms like LinkedIn or Indeed, while providing workers with better jobs, career visibility, and average pay bumps of around 30%.[3][4] Founded in 2024 and based in San Mateo, California, with operations in Knoxville and a new Nashville office, it recently surpassed 10,000 users and raised $5.8 million in seed funding by June 2025, led by NVP and including Torch Capital and notable angels.[1][3]

Origin Story

Laborup was founded in 2024 by Simba Jonga and a team with deep roots in Tennessee's manufacturing scene, having grown up around machine shops and factory floors.[2][3][4] The idea emerged from firsthand knowledge of the industrial labor crisis—manufacturers hiring aggressively amid a manufacturing resurgence, yet facing billions in losses from talent shortages—and a commitment to build software for overlooked blue-collar workers.[4] Early traction came from East Tennessee, reaching over 100,000 blue-collar workers and vetting 25,000 skilled ones, with pivotal innovations like AI voice agents that eliminate manual form-filling to build profiles and match candidates.[3][4] This regional focus expanded with a Nashville product engineering office and seed funding in 2025, fueling national scaling.[3]

Core Differentiators

Laborup stands out in manufacturing recruitment through a full-stack, services-first model blending AI automation with human expertise:

• AI Voice Agents and Automation: Conducts conversational screening to profile workers' skills without forms, automating matching, coordination, and vetting for 4-7x faster placements.[2][3][5]
• Expert Recruiters + Software: Provides dedicated 24/7 support with full transparency (daily/weekly updates), outperforming overworked, opaque traditional agencies.[1][4][5]
• High-Retention Outcomes: Achieves >90% placement retention and >50% cost savings by focusing on hard-to-fill skilled trades roles, using each hire's data to refine future matches.[1][2][4]
• Worker-Centric Features: Delivers pay bumps (~30%), career resources, and transparency, targeting talent absent from mainstream job boards.[3][4][5]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Laborup rides the resurgence of American manufacturing, fueled by automation, reshoring, and demand for advanced skilled trades amid a labor crisis affecting military and commercial production.[2][4] Its timing aligns with AI's maturation for high-friction, localized sectors long ignored by tech—offering ROI through faster, cheaper hires as industrial firms scale amid supply chain shifts and policy support for domestic production.[2][3] By modernizing hiring infrastructure, Laborup influences the ecosystem, empowering 10 million essential workers, boosting productivity in a trillion-dollar industry, and enabling the "industrial renaissance" with structured data from placements.[2][4]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Laborup is poised for rapid expansion across the South and Midwest, leveraging its $5.8M seed (with prior $7.7M context signaling momentum) to refine AI agents, deepen regional penetration, and productize workflows for broader adoption.[3] Trends like AI-driven personalization in recruitment, manufacturing reshoring, and labor market fragmentation will accelerate its growth, potentially disrupting legacy staffing with scalable software leverage.[2][3] Its influence could evolve from regional specialist to national backbone for industrial hiring, honoring blue-collar talent while supercharging U.S. productivity—bridging the gap that sparked its Tennessee origins.[4]