At a time when the coronavirus has meant job losses, Egypt-based recruitment platform Shaghalni has raised a 6 figure Pre-Series A round of funding from 138 Pyramids to create more opportunities for job seekers across the country.

“When an employer creates a job post on our website and includes the salary and working hours and all other benefits we will be able to predict how many people will show up for the interview. I think this will make it so much easier for the employers and it’s going to set expectations right. We will also be able to give you feedback on your package and tell you how your job posting is performing compared to other posts in similar sectors,” said Omar Khalifa, CEO at Shaghalni.

Here Is What You Need To Know

• Shaghalni aims to use the investment to strengthen its technology, grow its sales team, and increase its marketing activities. Shaghalni was launched in 2016 and has so far achieved 100 per cent year on year growth.
• The startup had previously received its seed investment of an undisclosed amount from Gemini Holding in 2016, an investment company owned by Naguib Sawiris. 
• Shaghalni has a 1.5 million database and over 10,000 companies and factories benefit from its services

Why The Investor Invested

“We are excited about this investment as Shaghalni is leveraging technology to solve the ever present challenges of the job market by connecting employers and jobseekers using a myriad of innovative tools to efficiently bridge the gap. As proponents of creating employment opportunities, we believe in the company’s vision of reinventing the blue and grey collar culture and creating more opportunities,” Neveen El Tahri, Chairperson at 138 Pyramids said. 

Read also: Egypt’s Startup Chefaa Is Done With Its Seed Funding Round. Set To Expand

A Look At What The Startup Does

Founded in 2015 by Omar Khalifa, Shaghalni is an online platform where blue & grey collar jobseekers get to promote their skills online and get hired directly by employers.

Thanks to building strategic partnerships to attract job seekers with the likes of Fawry, VictoryLink, and Orange, Shaghalni managed to sign and retain clients such as Danone, RAYA Aman, Spinneys Egypt, Mansour Group, and Unilever. Its partnerships include initiatives such as; enabling job seekers to apply to the latest jobs on Shaghalni through the thousands of available Fawry Points of Sales (POSs), and strategically placed electronic job kiosk points with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, which allow users to register and create their profile on the platform in 5 minutes. Shaghalni also sends weekly job opportunities to half a million job seekers through the ‘Shaghalni’ service with Orange.

Shaghalni now wants to expand its database and presence in the market further by focusing on its marketing activities and expanding its 12 person team to accommodate more sales representatives and attract a greater number of SMEs.

Shaghalni also aims to develop and expand its technology solutions by building AI tools that would advance matchmaking job seekers with opportunities. The AI tools would also provide its clients with predictive data on “applicants’ show up rate”, once the employer fills out the location, salary, and requirements of the job opening.

The Shaghalni story

Khalifa graduated in 2008 and sought to start a media company. By 2009 he’d started magazine publishing company Omedia and by 2010 he had sold advertisements worth $128,000. His passion for Shaghalni was not forgotten, however.

After the 2011 revolution, Khalifa found himself with heavy debts of $64,000.

“I [had] partnered with a lot of companies and took credit from printing shops as [Omedia] was doing well,” Khalifa said.

He was forced to sell everything to pay off his creditors.

Starting from scratch, Khalifa revived his old dream of Shaghalni — but not before setting Omedia to rights. By mid-2014 the publisher was back on track and he was able to focus his attention on Shaghalni.

“I contacted a software developer and for five consecutive months we worked on developing the website,” Khalifa said. “ By early 2015, we had the created a prototype and started the testing phase.”

Four dummy profiles were created using actual people to test whether or not companies would be interested in it. Khalifa started marketing Shaghalni on Facebook for $5 a day and hoped that the website would gain momentum.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer