London-based Vektor AI raises $2.5m pre-seed round to democratize tech talent’s access to professional career advice

Vektor AI, an online platform for one-to-one mentorship and professional career enhancement, announced it has raised a pre-seed round of $2.5 million led by leading early-stage European VC firms Cherry Ventures and Mosaic Ventures, with further investment from a supergroup of angel investors including Bradley Horowitz (Google), Deb Liu (Ancestry), Ujjwal Singh (Meta), Paul Forster (Indeed), Phil Chambers (Peakon), and many more.

Vektor AI platform assists startup employees as they interact in real time with a chosen mentor experienced in the role and field the mentee seeks to succeed in. The launch of Vektor AI could not have come at a more opportune moment: with a new generation entering the workforce remotely for the first time, the pandemic triggering a search more meaningful careers, and mass lay-offs leaving individuals in need of new skills advice and training, and guidance on becoming self-employed, the need for personalized, professional, and relevant career support is greater than ever. 

Anna Buldakova, Co-founder and CEO, Vektor AI: ''If you want to transition to a new career or learn a new skill, mentorship is the most effective way to reach that goal. But, due to the changing employment landscape, finding relevant mentors is harder than ever, especially for startup employees. With Vektor AI, you get direct professional guidance from someone who has been in your shoes and can help you get to where you want to go.''

Vektor AI’s launch follows six months of intensive beta testing for the platform which facilitates mentorship and supports career advancement for startup employees. Using data such as employment background, education, professional goals, and skills, the platform matches mentees with relevant mentors who can advise on and assist with training, growth, and tangible next steps. While some mentors offer their advice and expertise free of charge, others do so on a paid basis. Standing apart from traditional mentor models which are woefully ill-equipped to meet the complex needs of Millennial and Gen Z workers who seek both meaning and flexibility in their employment choices, Vektor AI offers a truly accessible and democratized mentorship model that enables rapid career advancement and concrete results for everyone.

Victor Buldakov, Co-founder and CTO, Vektor AI: ''We created Vektor because we want to ensure that individuals who choose to work in small organizations have access to the same level of career growth and support as those at larger companies.''

Vektor AI was founded in December 2021 by husband and wife team, Anna Buldakova and Victor Buldakov, who brought their combined experience from Meta, WhatsApp, Zalando, N26, and Intercom to the table when creating the cutting edge mentorship platform. They have added to their team with former leads from Yandex, Klarna, Figma, and Uber. On Vektor’s advisory board, the team has welcomed Nikhyl Singhal, VP of Product at Meta, and Jules Walter, Product Lead at YouTube.

Toby Coppel, Co-founder and Partner, Mosaic Ventures: "Millennials and Gen Z are ditching the corporate ladder for remote work, startup roles, and greater flexibility. While this has many upsides, many lose out on the benefits of working at a corporate, such as the opportunity to organically build relationships with experienced leaders and access to potential mentors. Vektor aims to solve this by connecting tech talent with mentors within their field. We can’t think of a better duo to scale this business than Anna and Victor."

Dinika Mahtani, Principal, Cherry Ventures: ''People’s careers matter. However, accessing, navigating, and creating meaningful career paths is not nearly as simple as it should be. Anna, Victor, and their growing and diverse team are changing this, helping mid-level and senior tech professionals gain more career clarity. With their AI-know how, science-guided program, and community-driven background and mindset, Vektor is set to make careers a journey, not a ladder.''

www.vektor.ai