JenZ Inc., a career technology platform, has closed a $5.4 million seed funding round. The Santa Monica-based company, which does business as Home From College, connects young professionals with brands to find jobs such as internships and freelance work. The funding round was led by Alphabet Inc.’s venture capital investment arm, GV Management Co. LLC.
Home From College positions itself as an asset for college students to bolster their resumes, gain professional experience and earn money while in school. The company said it has more than 100,000 users, who are mainly between the ages of 18 and 27.
The platform includes a resume builder and is built on a core product called GIG. GIG allows students and other users without extensive work experience to apply for “flexible” jobs, ranging from one-day projects and freelance work to long-term work. Home From College said that “hundreds” of companies use its tools to source workers, including Playa Vista-based Thrive Market, Aquaphor, El Segundo-based Beyond Meat Inc., Urban Decay, Peacock, Steve Madden Ltd. and Poppi.
“Home From College has changed the way we interact and connect with our Generation Z audience,” said Sonny Rothstadt, Poppi’s director of public relations, partnerships and events. “It has provided us with a seamless solution for everything from content creation to finding innovative new team members … and it continues to be a platform we turn to when ideating and creating our biggest campaigns.”
The company previously raised $1.5 million of pre-seed funding in 2022. Chief executive Julia Haber co-founded Home From College in 2021 with Kaj Zandvliet. Haber co-founded and previously led Wayv, which designs pop-up experiences for brands on college campuses.
“Since our launch in 2021, we’ve seen tremendous organic growth and product adoption among young professional communities we care about,” Haber said in a statement. “Home From College has blossomed into a powerful resource, and it’s just scratching the surface of what it can offer.”
Home from College said that marketing-support jobs are a common interest among brands and student users alike. Hiring brands are able to contract, manage and pay hires through Home From College.
Home From College has three subscription tiers for companies, which include a $99 per month basic subscription, a $199 per month mid-tier subscription and an enterprise-level subscription that varies in price. Companies are charged a 20% service fee on top of each employee invoice paid through the platform.
