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Global HR Tech Report Q1-2024 - Drake Star
Global HR Tech Report Q1-2024 - Drake Star
Global HR Tech Report Q1-2024 - Drake Star
• 8x investment bank of
One of the largest tech Over 500 transactions the year
teams with over 100 completed incl. numerous • 34x deal of the year
professionals in the US, tech landmark deals • 5x leadership awards
Europe and Middle East
2
Portfolio company of
Sale of
A subsidiary of
a portfolio company of
&
of companies are struggling to find the right people with the right skills
increase in mentions of workforce as top priority compared to 2021
to fill their job openings2)
Significant pressure on the HR departments due to changing demographics Increasing importance of digitalization of the HR function is underscored by
together with the lowest global unemployment rate for the last 20 years prioritizing workforce and cost management
Retaining talent has become increasingly important, due to a global Efficiency improvements, employee communication, and remote work
workforce gap and escalating talent acquisition costs3) capabilities are key digitalization drivers
Delivering a digital experience is crucial as the new generation of talent Automation, data-driven decision-making, and consolidation of legacy tech
consists of digital natives who expect a seamless digital experience3) stacks help to optimize cost management
Sources: 1) Korn Ferry: Future of Work – The global talent crunch, (2018) (illustrative); 2) European Centre for the Development of
Vocational Training, (2021); 3) McKinsey: European talent is ready to walk out the door. How should companies respond? (2022);
4) Gartner Research: 2024 HR Technology Imperatives (2023) 5
Outside HR
HYBRID WORK PRODUCTIVITY The role of HR has evolved from a traditional administrative function
to a new strategic responsibility
EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE
SKILL-BASED DEVELOPMENT
HR initiatives that impact the entire business, such as hybrid
Control
EMPLOYMENT
POLICIES working environments, learning and development, and employee
FLEXIBILITY & WELL-BEING experience, are critical for organizations to maintain their
competitive edge
PAYROLL
GIG CAREERS
EMPLOYEE
ADMINISTRATION
AGILE LEARNING The HR department must balance the delivery of business
Mostly w/ HR
In 2023 strategic buyers made up more Around two thirds of invested capital was
then half of the M&A activity in HR Tech, allocated to later stage venture funding
driven by efforts to offer holistic platform rounds, as investors are increasingly
HR solutions to provide end-to-end looking for more mature assets with a
digitalization of the HR function clear path to profitability
Source: Pitchbook 8
3
2
Source: Pitchbook 9
10
DRAFT
11
Sourcing
Recruitment
Marketing
Selection
Suite /
Engagement
Onboarding
HRIS /
Payroll
Benefits
Workforce
Management
Contingent
Labor
Compensation
DEI /
Compliance
Performance
&
Succession
Learning
&
Development
Employee
Engagement
12
HR Analytics
20,0%
10,0%
0,0% (5.2%)
(10,0)%
(13.2%)
(20,0)%
(30,0)% (31.3%)
(40,0)%
(50,0)%
(60,0)%
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023
Talent Acquisition Human Capital Management / Talent Management NASDAQ Composite Index
13
8,0x
7,0x
6.5x
6,0x
5,0x
4.2x
4,0x
3.5x
3,0x
2,0x
1,0x
0,0x
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023
Talent Acquisition Human Capital Management / Talent Management NASDAQ Composite Index
14
30,0x
25,0x 21.4x
20,0x 21.1x
19.9x
15,0x
10,0x
5,0x
0,0x
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023
Talent Acquisition Human Capital Management / Talent Management NASDAQ Composite Index
15
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
2022 2022 2022 2022 2023 2023 2023 2023
▪ After a slight dip in Q3 2023,
Share(1) subscription-based HCM / Talent
(11.5%) (30.3%) (3.5%) (1.0%) (0.5%) 3.6% (10.0%) 25.6%
Price
Management continued its
upward trend in Q4 2023, driven
by very promising earnings
INDEX 89 62 60 59 59 61 55 69 releases from large players such
as Workday as well as market
expectations that interest rates
Share (12.4%) (23.3%) 4.6% 6.6% 9.5% 3.4% (4.2%) 6.8% have already peaked
Price
▪ Transactional Talent Acquisition
rebounded even stronger in Q4
after a weaker performance over
INDEX 88 67 70 75 82 85 81 87
the past two years. In particular,
larger players targeting the
enterprise segment such as
Share
Price
(10.2%) (22.4%) (4.1%) (1.0%) 16.8% 12.8% (4.1%) 13.6% Recruit Holdings, HireRight and
Equifax performed strongly,
pushing the index ahead of the
broader market
INDEX 90 70 67 66 77 87 83 95
16
M&A
1.450
858
590 687
Source: Pitchbook
Note: 1) Incl. Qualtrics sale to Silver Lake
17
Top 15 Best Funded Private HR Tech Companies (in $m)1) Top 15 Most Active Financial Investors in HR Tech 20232)
29
15
5
▪ The top 15 funded private companies have raised $10.1bn during their
5
lifespan
5
1) Numbers display total funding as of Q4 2023 2) By number of investments in 2023
Source: Pitchbook 5
18
• VEDA offers a holistic end- • Developer of a workforce • Blue Octopus Recruitment • Virgin Pulse develops an • CompXL offers a cloud-
to-end HR software platform management software, develops a management employee health based comprehensive
enabling customers to utilize focusing on time & software, specialized in talent engagement platform to drive compensation planning tool,
payroll, time & security and attendance, e-HR workflows management tools using well-being, culture and providing budgeting, total
people management and personal planning advanced technology productivity rewards statements and
solutions managing incentives
• Through Syntegro’s • The acquisition completes • This acquisition will create a
• Through this partnership acquisition, Visma IRIS’ long-term vision to tech-enabled platform that • Salary.com acquired
VEDA aims to become the strengthen its position in the expand its presence in the can develop novel benefit CompXL to expand its
number one HR Tech Dutch e-governance space HR software designs while leveraging AI international capabilities
platform for medium-sized to track and improve
companies within the DACH outcomes
region
19
• PerformYard develops a • Jitjatjo operates a workforce • Intenseye develops an AI • Traba operates a HR • Harri provides a recruitment
performance management management platform and platform designed to analyze marketplace to connect platform, offering suite of
software to focus on quality talent marketplace, enabling images and videos at the industrial workers with talent, workforce
feedback and effective user to meet personalized workplace to mitigate businesses management,
performance discussion, and on-demand staffing accidents communications, and
enabling organizations to needs • The company plans to compliance solutions
manage their workforce • The investment will support expand into new regions and
• The investment will support the platform’s growth and add more product features • The funds will be used to
• Updata Partner’s funds are the platform’s growth, expansion to its marketplace platform support the expansion of
used to continue building geographic expansion, key frontline work employee
their organization initiatives in advancing experience solutions
Jitjatjo’s machine learning
capabilities
20
21
0,0%
(5.2%)
(10,0)%
(20,0)%
(30,0)% (31.3%)
(40,0)%
(50,0)%
(60,0)%
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023
TALENT ACQUISITION
22
8,9x
6,9x
6,1x
5,5x
3,6x
2,7x
2,3x 2,4x 2,2x 2,2x
: 2,2x
EV ($m) 59,829 36,250 7,298 2,798 2,192 1,838 1,769 1,572 1,433 1,117 796
Revenue CAGR
2021-2023 12.1% 3.3% 19.6% 4.1% 23.1% 16.6% 6.2% (0.3%) (7.2%) 24.8% 10.3%
EBITDA Margin
12.7% 32.2% 33.9% 31.2% 25.7% 10.3% 26.0% 24.1% 26.2% 42.6% 16.3%
2023a
23
26,4x 26,2x
21,4x 21,6x
18,3x
14,3x 13,5x
11,6x
9,4x 9,0x 8,6x
EV ($m) 59,829 36,250 7,298 2,798 2,192 1,838 1,769 1,572 1,433 1,117 796
Revenue CAGR
2021-2023 12.1% 3.3% 19.6% 4.1% 23.1% 16.6% 6.2% (0.3%) (7.2%) 24.8% 10.3%
EBITDA Margin
12.7% 32.2% 33.9% 31.2% 25.7% 10.3% 26.0% 24.1% 26.2% 42.6% 16.3%
2023a
24
EBITDA Margin (%) EV / Revenue EV / EBITDA
Share Price Market Cap Enterprise Value Revenue CAGR
Company HQ
($) ($m) ($m) 22a-24e
2023a 2024e 2023a 2024e 2023a 2024e
42.30 65,793 59,829 0.8% 12.7% 16.2% 2.3x 2.5x 18.3x 15.4x
247.29 30,470 36,250 5.6% 32.2% 34.5% 6.9x 6.3x 21.4x 18.4x
18.22 6,454 7,298 4.2% 33.9% 44.4% 8.9x 8.7x 26.4x 19.7x
16.57 2,405 2,798 0.9% 31.2% 31.9% 3.6x 3.4x 11.6x 10.6x
63.71 2,494 2,192 20.1% 25.7% 26.4% 5.5x 4.6x 21.6x 17.5x
14.87 2,024 1,838 12.1% 10.3% 14.0% 2.7x 2.4x 26.2x 16.9x
13.92 1,312 1,769 (0.7%) 26.0% 27.0% 2.4x 2.3x 9.4x 8.7x
13.45 910 1,572 (2.8%) 24.1% 25.1% 2.2x 2.1x 9.0x 8.2x
13.90 1,374 1,433 (19.8%) 26.2% 25.0% 2.2x 2.5x 8.6x 9.8x
15.77 1,077 1,117 21.5% 42.6% 42.6% 6.1x 5.4x 14.3x 12.8x
27.22 1,045 796 10.1% 16.3% 18.9% 2.2x 1.9x 13.5x 10.3x
MEAN 4.7% 25.6% 27.8% 4.1x 3.8x 16.4x 13.5x
MEDIAN 4.2% 26.0% 26.4% 2.7x 2.5x 14.3x 12.8x
25
Top 15 Best Funded Private Talent Acquisition Companies (in $m)1) Top 10 Most Active Financial Investors in Talent Acquisition 20232)
▪ The top 15 funded private companies have raised $5.5bn during their ▪ The top 10 most active financial investors have closed 55 Talent
lifespan Acquisition transactions in 2023
1) Numbers display total funding as of Q4 2023 2) By number of investments in 2023
Source: Pitchbook
26
• Truffls develops a job • Milch und zucker provides a • Winnow provides a • Brazen develops a virtual • Pre-Intent provides an all-in-
searching and recruiting recruitment and employer recruitment software to hiring and online career fair one applicant outreach and
application, offering job branding software, offering provide ideal clients to the platform intended to interview scheduling
suggestions based on CV services for talent health sector schedule and host online platform that allows you to
and users can contact acquisition, recruiting with its meetups and events create, connect, qualify and
interesting companies and flat-rate model and • The acquisition enables Aya interview candidates
HR managers while integrated artificial to hire locum providers and • The acquisition expands
companies can reach out to technology manage the recruitment and Radancy’s talent acquisition • The acquisition expands
candidates directly in a retention of providers cloud through advanced HCP’s product and service
targeted manner • The acquisition strengthen through Aya Connect event technology portfolio, improved support,
Embrance’s technology and and innovative technologies
• Funke Digital Investors solution expertise
further expands its working
group specializing in job
portals
27
• Micoworks operates a • Apploi develops an HR • Retorio provides a cloud- • Mogul provides an artificial • Scorability operates a
recruitment and recruitment software, offering based personality intelligence-enabled recruiting platform for the
communication platform for onboarding, and credential assessment platform, business-to-business college sports industry that
optimal recruitment software with customizable leveraging AI to identify recruitment platform, allows them to efficiently
communication application templates, and talents by analyzing a designed to source identify, engage and attract
video and audio application candidate’s communication candidates the best players for their
• The funds will promote the questions behavior and personality programs
development of product from video data • The funds will be used to
functions and strengthen • The funding helps to further support the expansion of • The funds will be used to
Micoworks’s organizational growth and expand • The funding helps Retorio to growth quickly build the Scorability
structure further growth and expand team across multiple
geographically departments, develop the
company’s recruiting tech
and user experience
28
29
0,0%
(5,0)% (5.2%)
(10,0)%
(13.2%)
(15,0)%
(20,0)%
(25,0)%
(30,0)%
(35,0)%
(40,0)%
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2022 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023
30
11,1x 11,1x
8,6x
8,2x
7,4x 7,3x 7,3x 7,2x
6,8x
5,7x 6,0x
5,2x
1,4x
EV ($m) 370,430 178,072 98,132 69,000 42,236 15,964 11,473 11,083 9,025 3,795 1,785 1,297 970
Revenue CAGR
2021-2023 11.1% 4.2% 8.6% 20.0% 10.8% 3.4% 26.3% 21.6% 31.8% 21.6% 20.6% 31.4% 43.1%
EBITDA Margin
38.0% 32.4% 29.7% 2.3% 45.0% 21.1% 42.1% 27.2% 16.8% 0.8% 34.2% 8.1% 21.2%
2023a
31
EBITDA Margin (%) EV / Revenue EV / EBITDA
Share Price Market Cap Enterprise Value Revenue CAGR
Company HQ
($) ($m) ($m) 22a-24e
2023a 2024e 2023a 2024e 2023a 2024e
105.43 289,819 370,430 12.2% 38.0% 46.9% 7.4x 6.9x 19.5x 14.8x
154.17 179,485 178,072 6.5% 32.4% 32.7% 5.2x 4.8x 16.0x 14.5x
232.97 95,822 98,132 9.2% 29.7% 28.9% 5.7x 5.1x 19.2x 17.8x
276.06 72,604 69,000 18.8% 2.3% 27.7% 11.1x 9.5x n.m. 34.4x
119.11 42,858 42,326 8.1% 45.0% 45.3% 8.6x 8.0x 19.2x 17.6x
14.93 15,249 15,964 18.3% 21.1% 25.1% 6.0x 5.3x 28.4x 20.9x
206.72 11,928 11,473 16.7% 42.1% 41.1% 6.8x 6.1x 16.2x 14.9x
67.12 10,347 11,083 18.2% 27.2% 28.2% 7.3x 6.4x 26.9x 22.6x
164.85 9,261 9,025 28.9% 16.8% 33.9% 8.2x 6.4x n.m. 18.9x
21.59 3,834 3,795 23.6% 0.8% 31.5% 7.3x 5.8x n.m. 18.4x
231.02 1,837 1,785 23.8% 34.2% 33.1% 11.1x 9.6x 32.4x 28.9x
48.45 1,469 1,297 24.5% 8.1% 13.8% 7.2x 5.9x n.m. 42.4x
1.03 816 970 1.4% 21.2% 21.8% 1.4x 1.3x 6.4x 6.0x
MEAN 16.2% 24.5% 31.5% 7.2x 6.2x 20.5x 20.9x
MEDIAN 18.2% 27.2% 31.5% 7.3x 6.1x 19.2x 18.4x
32
Top 15 Best Funded Private Human Capital Management Companies (in $m)1) Top 10 Most Active Financial Investors in Human Capital Management 2022)
▪ The top 15 funded private companies have raised $8.0bn during their ▪ The top 10 most active financial investors have closed 28 Human
lifespan Capital Management transactions in 2023
1) Numbers display total funding as of Q4 2023 2) By number of Investments in 2023
Source: Pitchbook
33
• Mindsight develops a • Breitenbach Software • Ahgora develops a HR • Smartlinx provides an end- • Persis develops HR software,
software platform designed Solution develops a HR management platform, to-end workforce and human offering applicant
for human capital services, management software, providing facial recognition- capital management management, HR
specializes in human offering time management, based electronic software, providing management, and digital
resource management, personnel planning, timekeeping validation, employee scheduling, time personnel files
employee management and production data collection schedule management and and attendance, payroll, and
organization takes and access control solution attendance control staffing • The acquisition of persis will
strengthen the proALPHA
• This acquisition reinforces • The acquisition expands • Through Ahgora, TOTVS portfolio in HCM and creates
Sankhya’s management, RLDatix’s workforce reinforces its position as a value added synergy effects
business and people management capabilities in platform for HR, and
portfolio the German market while expands and strengthens its
strengthening its global offer of solutions from
vision for connected personal department to
healthcare processes employee experience
management
34
• Topia is developing a global • Payroll Integrations is • Tanda develops a cloud- • Jisr offers a HR management • beqom provides a cloud-
talent mobility platform that developing a plug-and-play based workforce platform, offering HR based compensation
automates the entire talent SaaS technology to connect management software, solution, time and management software,
mobility process benefits providers with helping users to build roster, attendance, reports, offering sales performance
payroll providers and track employees, automate benefits, and payroll service, partner relationship,
• This infusion of capital is efficiently automate hours of timesheets, and pay stuff services and sales analysis and
significant in that it positions HR tasks through its application crediting
Topia to forge ahead with its • The funding will enable Jisr
mission of disrupting • The funds will enable Payroll • The investment enables to advance its HR • The company raises an
traditional paradigms Integration to expand its Tanda to invest in key technology system and undisclosed amount to boost
product range and its strategic partners, develop products its operations
relationships with payroll accelerate product
companies and benefit development, and scale in
platforms. Kenya and East Africa over
the next 15 months
35
Top 15 Best Funded Private Talent Management Companies (in $m)1) Top 10 Most Active Financial Investors in Talent Management 20232)
397
330
301
267
228 220
186 178
155 137
120 118 117 110
▪ The top 15 funded private companies have raised $3.6bn during their ▪ The top 10 most active financial investors have closed 35 Talent
lifespan Management transactions in 2023
1) Numbers display total funding as of Q4 2023 2) By number of Investments in 2023
Source: Pitchbook
36
• TalentKeepers develops an • PayAnalytics develops a • Developer of an online • Cloud8 provides a cloud- • eLamp provides a skill
employee engagement tool, compensation software performance management based employee benefits management and staffing
offering onboarding tools, designed to monitor and platform intended to assist software, offering benefit platform, featuring staffing
surveys, eLearning address gender pay gaps in businesses in setting targets consultancy, financial risk tools, resume recognition,
leadership programs, corporations and evaluating employees management, and insurers planning, and reporting
performance management of all sizes to deliver
and teambuilding tools • The acquisition will enable • The company was acquired technology-led operations • The acquisition is part of
beqom’s platform a by EQT through an LBO for 360Learning’s mission to be
• This acquisition will consistent and continuous an undisclosed amount • Cloud8’s acquisition the go-to learning platform
strengthen Quantum focus on fair pay in the entire strengthen the product set of for global businesses
Workplace’s market position talent lifecycle Benefex to deliver a better
in the HR Tech industry employee benefit experience
to employees of SMEs and
high growth companies
37
• Inclusively develops a • Masterplan.com provides a • Kahuna provides a skill • Cogito develops an AI • Klara develops a talent
human-first employment learning platform, offering management platform to coaching system designed management platform,
platform, providing a practical lessons on varied create a more competitive to evaluate human offering a tool for enhancing
technology that offers content, short learning and skilled workforce connections in real time employee skills development
employers insight, access, sessions, and e-learning and deploying skill
training and support videos • The funding enables • The funds will be used to development strategies
strategic growth in product accelerate innovations
• The capital is used to • The funding will enable innovation and development, aimed at reducing employee • The funds will allow Klara to
accelerate the company’s Msaterplan.com to empower operational capabilities, and and customer complexities double its workforce by the
access to its new workplace more employees and team members and improving overall end of 2024, strengthen its
personalization product, businesses in the future, customer satisfaction sales and marketing teams
Retain expanding on skill-based to gain more market share in
learning and AI-powered France and Europe
learning transfers
38
39
40
41
42
43
Alex Kouchev Melanie Powell Kate Graham
Lead Product Engineer Marketing Specialist Director
Competitive Intelligence
44
Alex Kouchev
Lead Product Engineer
Melanie Powell
Marketing Specialist
45
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RECAPITALIZATION WITH
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AND REINVESTMENT BY
FOUNDERS ➢
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Drake Star is an award-winning global tech investment bank that has completed over 400 transactions since 2013. Drake Star team of over 100 senior professionals across offices in New York, London, Paris, Munich, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Berlin, and Dubai* focuses on mergers & acquisitions and corporate finance services worldwide in Consumer & Retail Technology, Digital Media, FinTech, Mobility & Sustainability, Software/SaaS,
Digital Services, and Industrial Tech sectors.
The endorsement shown was given by a former client. The endorsement is no guarantee of future performance or success. This is not a paid endorsement and no material conflicts of interest exist between the endorser and
Drake Star.
This report is published solely for informational purposes and is not to be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. The information herein in based on sources we believe to be reliable but is
not guaranteed by us, and we assume no liability for its use. Any opinions expressed herein are statements of our judgment on this date and are subject to change without notice.
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Drake Star did not act as a financial advisor for the transactions in this report if not stated otherwise.
Drake Star is the marketing name for the global investment bank Drake Star Partners Limited and its subsidiaries and affiliates. In the USA, all securities are transacted through Drake Star Securities LLC. In the USA, Drake Star
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