• US-headquartered Localized, a platform that connects job seekers in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region with local and international career opportunities and resources, has raised a $2.2 million Seed round from Trend Forward Capital, One Planet VC, Mexico-based Angel Ventures, Next Wave Impact, Bisk Ventures, Joshua Mailman, US News Digital Ventures as well as Esther Dyson.
• The round, closed back in April 2021, brings the total amount raised by the company so far to $3.6 million. 
• Besides the US, the company has offices in Dubai, Cairo, Ramallah, Prague and Lagos.
• The platform looks to help talent from Mena join international companies, such as Microsoft, Deloitte, McKinsey, Gaza Sky Geeks, Takalam, among others.

Press release

Localized, a career tech platform that connects top talent from emerging markets with industry experts to guide them and employers to hire them, has closed a Series Seed round of funding. Its backers include high-profile, seasoned global investors in the education, recruiting, impact, and tech sectors.

The New Normal: Online learning and contactless recruiting have accelerated dramatically as a result of COVID19. From Boston to Beirut to Beijing, universities now recognize the need to offer virtual employer and career services to their students and alumni as companies become increasingly remote, distributed and global. 150 million students enroll in post-secondary education globally, with two-thirds in emerging markets, but that number is slated to reach nearly 1B by 2050.[1]

The Company: Localized unlocks educated talent for global companies. On Localized, employers recruit from schools without having to attend in-person career fairs, and students get industry insights from top professionals who share their language and roots.

Localized began serving top universities and talent hubs across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market, though schools and organizations in locales ranging from New York to Singapore are joining. The platform hosts students from over 100 countries.

“As companies look for diverse, world-class talent, Localized fills a critical need. We led this funding round after hearing from satisfied customers and seeing the traction firsthand over the last 2 years. We are strong believers in Ronit and the team that she has assembled and the opportunity that was accelerated by COVID.” – Heather Henyon, Next Wave Impact

Investors: Seasoned investors in the career-tech, ed-tech and social impact space have joined this round, including:

·       Trend Forward Capital

·       One Planet VC

·       Angel Ventures in Mexico

·       Esther Dyson, angel investor (including 23andMe, Flickr, Square, Meetup, Jump and geometric Intelligence (both sold to Uber), Yandex, SWVL)

·       Next Wave Impact

·       Bisk Ventures

·       Joshua Mailman

·       US News Digital Ventures

Team: Localized’s team has extensive experience in tech, emerging markets, education, business, media and career services. Localized advisors are part of the Young President’s Organization, Entrepreneur Organization and the Young Global Leaders network of the World Economic Forum. 

While Localized is headquartered in Washington, DC, its team members work from Ramallah, Cairo, Amman, Prague, Lagos, SF and Dubai.

“No one would disagree that the current process for students to find their dream job is broken.  We believe Ronit and the amazing team she’s assembled have exactly what it takes to disrupt the career industry globally.” Jonathan Chang, Trend Forward Capital

What Users Say About Localized

“I learned more about various subjects using Localized than any other site/tool. I had a great experience using Localized, and the webinars, articles etc. are great materials to steer people in the right direction." – Chanelle McKenzie, mathematics & computer science major @ SUNY Purchase

“This is better than LinkedIn!” – Reem Khouri, CEO of Whyise 

“I joined Localized and found more useful information about breaking into the tech industry as a non-engineer than any of the resources I’ve seen at my school’s career center.” —Veer Parikh, Georgetown University graduate

Investor and Advisor Amit Sevak, who has built and invested in EdTech companies globally, remarked: “Localized is cracking the code on linking university students to global jobs.”