Hosco secures new investment round

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06.01.2016
Hosco

Hosco.com, now finalizing its latest round of funding and backed by nearly 3 million Swiss francs, aims to become the LinkedIn for the hospitality world. In 2015 the startup took flight and saw a growth of over 200% in users, traffic, business and employees. The investment allows hosco to strengthen the product and speed growth.

Three years after graduating from the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, Carl Julien and Olivier Bracard (Picture) envisioned a new concept in recruitment: a global network dedicated to the hospitality industry, exclusive to graduates of the most prestigious hotel schools and to established industry professionals.

Since its launch in 2011, the Swiss startup hosco has managed to create a unique environment composed of 80 hospitality schools and more than 1,000 employers around the world, with thousands of new talents joining each month.

Candidates are drawn to the platform for available internships and jobs, but also for networking opportunities and career guidance.

Hosco supports member schools in the career placement and guidance of their students, and the company offers its technology in the development of their intranets, career sites and alumni pages. “To develop and maintain an efficient and engaging tool is a headache for schools and universities today. We take care of the technology side of things, and our volume of employers, job offers and members guarantees the appeal and dynamic nature of each school’s network.  Our team dedicated to schools assures premium, continuous client service,” indicates Olivier Bracard, CEO.

200% Growth in 2015
In 2015 the startup took flight and saw
a growth of over 200% in users, traffic, business and employees. “The hosco brand is becoming more and more established, and our performance has increased exponentially. This has allowed us to count more and more big industry names among our clients such as Marriott International, Expedia, AccorHotels, Melia Hotels International” says Carl Julien, COO.

From this point on, product is the primary focus of hosco: “This new investment will allow us to improve user experience by simplifying the use of the network, to optimize mobile functionality and finally to add new features. Our ambitious growth objectives will be supported by an excellent product,” explains Carl Julien.

Experienced investors
The startup welcomes among its new shareholders two HEC Lausanne alumni,
Steve Savioz and Michael Lahyani.

Steve Savioz co-founded and directed for 15 years Virtua, one of the most influential digital agencies in Switzerland. Today he is an investor in numerous successful digital companies.  Michael Lahyani founded and developed, with a team of over 200 employees, propertyfinder.ae, the leading real estate website in the Middle East. “We are proud to be able to count on Steve and Michael. Their experience, both digital and entrepreneurial, complements our own expertise and will be a valuable asset in advancing our goal of making hosco the most recognized recruitment platform for the hospitality industry,” indicates Olivier Bracard.

 “I was impressed by the size and growth of the market, by what the founders had accomplished and by their passion for the project and for their industry,” says Steve Savioz. Michael Lahyani adds, “It’s the first Swiss startup that I’ve decided to invest in. The potential is immense and I am delighted to invest in accelerating hosco’s development.”

Following its recent expansion to Barcelona, the startup is planning the opening of a new office in Dubai in the first half of 2016 along with the recruitment of 20 new employees in the next 12 months. 

About hosco.com:
Hosco is a professional network dedicated to the recruitment and guidance of hospitality industry talents. The company is based in Geneva, Switzerland. It operates from its headquarters as well as from its Barcelona branch and currently has 20 employees.

(Press release)

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