Startups raise money to grow, and growth mostly means people. A new round comes with a hiring plan the founders have already promised their investors, which means open roles, real budget and a hiring team in a hurry. That combination makes freshly funded startups some of the most responsive employers there are, if you reach them at the right time.
1. Get there early
The first applicants to a new role get the most attention. Applications pile up fast on startup roles, and by the time a posting is a couple of months old the team may already be interviewing finalists. Two ways to be early:
- Track new rounds as they happen (see how to find startups that just raised).
- Save a search on JustBacked for your role and location and turn on alerts. Members get matching roles the day they are posted; everyone else sees them 48 hours later.
2. Know which roles are opening
Here is what startups that raised in the last six months are hiring for right now:
| Function | Open roles | Share | Remote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 7,408 | 44% | 26% |
| Sales & BD | 2,494 | 15% | 46% |
| Operations | 1,321 | 8% | 20% |
| Marketing | 890 | 5% | 42% |
| Hardware | 812 | 5% | 4% |
| Clinical | 571 | 3% | 21% |
| People | 561 | 3% | 27% |
| Product | 487 | 3% | 39% |
Live JustBacked board: open roles at venture-backed startups that raised in the last six months.
Sales, marketing and product roles are much more likely to be remote than engineering, operations or hardware roles, which tend to be on-site.
3. Apply on the company's own system
Startups track candidates in a hiring system (Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby and others). Applying there puts you in the queue the team actually works from. Every role on JustBacked links straight to that application page, never to a recruiter or a reposting site.
Keep the application short and specific. Startup hiring managers often read every application themselves; a clear resume and two or three sentences about why this company, now, beat a long cover letter.
4. Reach the hiring manager
After you apply, send a short message to the person you'd report to, or to a founder at very early companies. LinkedIn works; so does a work email if it's public. A good note has three parts:
- The role you applied for, by name.
- One specific reason you fit, ideally tied to what the round is for ("you're opening in London; I've launched two products there").
- A clear, easy next step ("happy to do a 20-minute call this week").
Don't send a dozen people at the same company the same message. One thoughtful note to the right person is enough.
5. Do your homework on the round
Read the funding announcement before your first conversation. It tells you the amount, the investors and the plan, which is exactly what the team is thinking about. Asking how the new hire fits into that plan is a strong question in any interview. Each JustBacked company page shows the latest round, its date, amount and lead investors, plus how fast the company has been adding roles.
6. Evaluate the offer properly
A fresh round means the company can pay, but it doesn't make every offer good. Compare the base pay against startup salaries for the same stage and role, and ask the questions every candidate should ask before joining a startup, especially about equity and runway.