Joonko’s Series B deck focuses on the transition from manual diversity sourcing to an automated, scalable solution. The company positions itself at the intersection of 'Effortless' and 'Diversity' on its competitive landscape slide, distancing itself from generalist platforms like LinkedIn. The deck highlights significant tailwinds, including the fact that DE&I Manager was the #2 fastest-growing job title in the U.S. at the time of the raise. While the deck provides a clear look at their candidate pool demographics—showing 68% women and 53% STEM professions—it notably uses placeholders for it…
Key takeaways
- The deck identifies DE&I Manager as the #2 fastest-growing job title in the U.S. to justify market demand (Slide 3).
- Joonko claims a candidate pool where 68% are women and 53% are in STEM professions (Slide 4).
- The company differentiates itself from competitors like LinkedIn and SeekOut by mapping itself as the only 'Effortless' and 'Diversity' focused solution (Slide 5).
- A bar chart shows consistent quarter-over-quarter ARR growth throughout 2021, though specific dollar amounts are removed (Slide 6).
- The market size is calculated at $18B based on 18 million open roles on LinkedIn at a $1000/open role price point (Slide 7).
- The organizational structure reveals a split between Israeli-based R&D and U.S.-based sales and content teams (Slide 8).
- The funding ask was $20M according to the slide, though reports indicate the round closed at $25M (Slide 9).
- The deck lacks a detailed product walkthrough or technical explanation of how the 'automated recruiting solution' functions.
Slide-by-Slide Analysis
Slide 1: Title Slide
The deck opens with a stylized illustration of a climber ascending a mountain, with a callout stating 'That’s Junko.' This is a reference to Junko Tabei, the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which serves as the namesake for the company. The slide clearly states 'B-Round,' setting the stage for a growth-stage investment conversation.
Slide 2: The Mission Statement
This slide serves as the high-level pitch. It states: 'Joonko creates a completely new way for companies to source and recruit underrepresented candidates with its automated recruiting solution.' The left side emphasizes 'We Automate Sourcing.' There are six placeholders for customer logos, indicating that the company has established social proof, though the specific names are redacted in this version.
Slide 3: Tailwind Factors
Joonko uses a 'Why Now' approach by listing six external factors driving their growth: Employee Values Shift, Government Policy, US Culture Shift, DE&I Technology Adoption, Growing DE&I Industry, and a Hot Talent Market. A critical data point at the bottom notes that 'DE&I Manager' is the '#2 Fastest-growing job title in the U.S.,' providing a concrete metric for the increasing internal demand for their product within target organizations.
Slide 4: Candidate Pool Demographics
This slide provides a 'Zoom in to the candidate pool' using five donut charts. It reports that 10% of the pool are veterans. The 'Representation' chart shows 32% Black/African-American, 21% Hispanic/LatinX, 13% Asian, and 22% White. The 'Seniority' chart indicates a focus on experienced talent, with 39% in Mid-Management and 25% in Senior Management. The 'Gender' chart shows a 68% female majority, and the 'Professions' chart highlights a strong technical focus with 53% in STEM.
Slide 5: Sourcing Landscape
The competitive matrix uses two axes: General vs. Diversity and Active vs. Effortless. Joonko places itself in the top-right quadrant (Effortless/Diversity). It positions LinkedIn and SeekOut as 'General/Active' tools, while Entelo and Jopwell are categorized as 'Diversity/Active.' By labeling itself as 'Effortless,' Joonko is pitching a reduction in recruiter manual labor compared to incumbents.
Slide 6: ARR 2021 Growth
This slide displays a bar chart showing quarter-over-quarter Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) growth for the year 2021. While the Y-axis values are removed, the visual trend shows a significant upward trajectory, with Q4-21 appearing to be roughly 4-5 times the volume of Q1-21. This demonstrates the 'T2D3' style growth investors look for in a Series B.
Slide 7: Market Size
Joonko calculates its TAM (Total Addressable Market) using a bottom-up approach. It targets US-based companies with over 500 employees and more than 30 job openings. The calculation uses 18 million open roles on LinkedIn multiplied by a $1,000 fee per open role on Joonko, resulting in a stated '$18B Market.' This slide is designed to show that even a small percentage of the total hiring market represents a massive revenue opportunity.
Slide 8: Company Structure
The organizational chart shows a mature Series B structure. It identifies the CEO, CTO, VP Marketing, and CRO. The chart uses flags to denote location, showing a heavy R&D presence in Israel (ISR) and a growing Sales and Content presence in the U.S. The inclusion of 'External Advisors' suggests a well-connected board or advisory group.
Slide 9: The Ask
The final slide states 'We’re Raising $20m.' Below the main ask are three placeholders: '$Xm ARR,' 'X Clients,' and 'Xm Talents.' These represent the milestones the company intends to reach with the new capital. While the slide says $20M, publisher reports indicate the company ultimately raised $25M in this round.
What Works in the Joonko Deck
Clear Market Timing: By citing the DE&I Manager as the second fastest-growing job title, Joonko moves beyond 'diversity is good' to 'diversity is a budget line item that is expanding rapidly.' This is a crucial distinction for Series B investors who care about market urgency.
Specific Talent Data: Slide 4 is highly effective. Instead of making vague claims about a 'diverse database,' they provide granular percentages on seniority and profession. The fact that 53% of their pool is in STEM is a major selling point, as diverse technical talent is often the hardest to source.
Strategic Positioning: The use of the word 'Effortless' on the competitive landscape slide (Slide 5) is a direct attack on the primary pain point of recruiters: the time-consuming nature of manual sourcing. It moves the conversation from 'we have better data' to 'we save you time.'
What is Missing from the Joonko Deck
Product Mechanics: The deck mentions an 'automated recruiting solution' multiple times but never explains how it works. Does it integrate with the ATS? Is it an AI-driven matching engine? For a $25M round, investors would typically expect at least one slide showing the product interface or a workflow diagram of the automation.
Unit Economics: While the ARR growth is shown visually, there is no mention of Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Lifetime Value (LTV), or Net Revenue Retention (NRR). These are standard requirements for a Series B deck to prove the business model is scalable and efficient.
Case Studies: The deck has a placeholder for logos but lacks a specific success story. A slide detailing how a specific 'Logo 1' increased their diverse hires by X% using Joonko would have grounded the 'Effortless' claim in reality.
Founder Takeaways
Leverage Macro Trends: If your industry is seeing a surge in specific job titles related to your product, use that as a proxy for market demand. It is more convincing than a generic Gartner chart. · Quantify Your Supply Side: If you are a marketplace or sourcing platform, the quality and composition of your 'supply' (in this case, candidates) is your most valuable asset. Break it down by seniority and industry to prove you aren't just a database of entry-level profiles. · Define Your Axis: When building a competitive matrix, don't just use 'Price' and 'Quality.' Use axes that define your unique operational advantage, like Joonko did with 'Active' vs. 'Effortless.' · Visualizing Growth: Even if you need to redact specific dollar amounts for a public-facing deck, showing the relative scale of growth through bar charts can communicate the necessary momentum to pique investor interest.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Joonko's core value proposition?
- Joonko positions itself as an automated sourcing and recruiting solution specifically for underrepresented candidates. Unlike manual sourcing tools, it aims to provide an 'effortless' way for companies to meet diversity goals by tapping into a pre-vetted pool of talent that has already reached final interview stages at other top firms.
- How does Joonko calculate its total addressable market?
- On slide 7, the company calculates an $18B market by multiplying 18 million open roles found on LinkedIn by a target price of $1,000 per open role. This assumes a broad application of their technology across all U.S.-based companies with over 500 employees and more than 30 job openings.
- What does the candidate pool look like according to the deck?
- Slide 4 provides a breakdown: 68% women, 32% men, 53% STEM, and 22% Sales/Business. Ethnically, the pool is 32% Black/African-American, 21% Hispanic/LatinX, and 13% Asian. Additionally, 10% of the pool are veterans, and the majority (39%) are in mid-management roles.
- Who are Joonko's primary competitors?
- Slide 5 lists several competitors across two axes. Generalist competitors include LinkedIn, Hiretual, and SeekOut. Diversity-focused competitors include Canvas, Jopwell, and Entelo. Joonko differentiates itself by claiming to be more 'effortless' than these 'active' sourcing tools.
- Where is the company's team located?
- Based on the 'Company Structure' slide (Slide 8), the team is distributed between Israel (ISR) and the United States. The CTO, Frontend, and Backend teams are primarily in Israel, while the Director of Content and a portion of the Sales team are based in the U.S.
