Can AI Replace Your Applicant Tracking System? An Honest Assessment for 2026

After a tough summer, things turned around in July. Back then, I met our current lead investor: Jesse Jeng from Scalehouse Capital. Jesse was instantly convinced — not only of our vision, but also of our story. My exit with Softgarden, the fact that Yannick is on board, and our clear idea of how recruiting with agentic AI will work in the future — it was all right.

In August and September, we did it: We set up our pre-seed financing for Paul's job. A total of 1.4 million euros — led by Scalehouse Capital and supported by a great group of Super Angels: Alexander Brühl, Rainer Hofmann, Andreas Junck, Carsten Reetz and Michael May.

At the same time, we were also able to take the work we had already put into the product in 2024 and 2025 into the new company. Honestly, it wasn't cheap either 😉 — but it was worth it because it gave us a strong foundation on which we could immediately continue building.

And we didn't start alone: With customers such as Teamwork, Alloheim and VD Mayr, with whom we worked before, we were able to go through this turbulent period. We are incredibly grateful that they have remained loyal to us. On this basis, we know that we can count on our customers.

Today, as three founders — Yannick, Putu and I — we stand on really clean foundations. Without legacy issues, with a clear setup and a mission that drives us all: to completely rethink recruiting with agentic AI.

This restart feels like a fresh start — only better because we now have all the learnings in our luggage. We're stronger, more focused and have the right basis to build something really big.

‍

The summer of 2025 was not an easy time for me. I'd like to share openly what happened here.

I joined a team in 2024 that had already worked on HR products. I met Putu there. Together, we have started working on a new vision: a recruiting system that uses agentic AI to completely rethink the application process.

However, the team I joined had a very complex past — with topics that actually had nothing to do with this new product. It is precisely these inherited issues that have made it extremely difficult to advance our vision in this structure.

During this time, I also brought Yannick into the team. We had worked closely together at Softgarden before, and I knew that with his experience in sales, he was just the right person to bring that vision forward.

But at some point, we were faced with a harsh reality: The team's complicated past made it impossible to get new funding. We would have liked to continue — but we simply had no chance anymore. We were forced to stop even though we still had so much to do.

That was a real low point. But at the same time, it's also a moment of clarity. It became clear to us that if we want to achieve this vision, we must restart it and start it unencumbered.

In the next article, you will read exactly how we succeeded — and why we are stronger and more free today than ever before.

‍

We were at the Embrace Festival in June — and this time it really went to the heart of the HR community. A few thousand recruiters, HR people and techies came together in Berlin to talk about the future of work and recruiting.

We were right in the middle of it: Dom sat on a panel with three other speakers and discussed the role of agentic AI in HR. From the first steps to real use cases — it was exciting to see how much curiosity and energy there was in the room.

In addition to the panel, we also had our own little tent. There we welcomed many visitors, had coffee, showed demos and simply got into conversation. Particularly cool: We held a session together with Teamwork — and the employee, who is called Paul there, spoke first-hand about his experiences with our Paul. “Paul meets Paul,” so to speak. This caused a few laughs and made the presentation even more personal.

For us, the Embrace Festival was a complete success: We were able to meet many familiar faces, make exciting new contacts and experience how much the topic of AI in recruiting is currently affecting the industry. In the end, what remains is the feeling of being part of a community that wants to rethink things — and that is exactly what drives us.

In June, we were at Product at Heart — one of the most exciting events for product people in Europe. Our cathedral was on stage there and talked about our experiences designing products with agentic AI at their core.

It was a special moment for us. A year ago, Paul's job was an early idea. Today, we build real systems that run with agentic AI — not prototypes, but technology that really talks to applicants, controls processes, and helps recruiters hire faster. Being able to share these experiences was a milestone for us.

But it wasn't just the stage that was strong — the whole atmosphere impressed us. Hundreds of product enthusiasts in one place who exchange ideas, discuss the future and let off steam about what it means today to build really good products.

A personal highlight: At the speaker dinner, Dom sat at the same table as Marty Cagan. Talking about product philosophy, team culture and a bit of Silicon Valley wisdom over dinner — these are the moments that make a conference unforgettable.

We came back from Hamburg full of inspiration — and with a clear reminder that building a product always means building with and for people. And it is precisely this energy that has made the community feel.

We still remember the future Personal 2024. Back then, our product was brand new — beta rather than ready — and we were as nervous as the first day of school. It was there that we met Teamwork Instore Services for the first time. From the very first moment on, it was right. They were curious, courageous and open to working with us on new paths in recruiting. This is how Teamwork became one of our very first customers, who, together with us, went deep into the agentic automation of recruiting processes.

A lot has happened since then. Together with Teamwork, we have developed a solution that forwards applications from Kleinanzeigen.de directly to Paul in WhatsApp. No more email chaos, no more Excel lists, no more manual copy-paste. Instead, candidates immediately receive a message from Paul, upload their documents directly in the chat and if something is missing, Paul simply asks. If the position doesn't fit, Paul even suggests suitable alternatives nearby.

The results are impressive: Recruitment processes that used to take days are now carried out within minutes. Candidates can sometimes receive a phone call after just five minutes and have already scheduled an interview for the next day. Jacqueline Duden, Head of Recruiting at Teamwork, sums it up perfectly:

“In our industry, jobs are very comparable, which is why it is often decided who reacts first. With Paul, we are simply faster — and at the same time have more time for personal conversations. ”

Why WhatsApp Because it converts better than any other channel. Everyone uses it, everyone feels comfortable there. But without AI, WhatsApp is a nightmare for recruiters — every single message has to be answered manually. That is exactly what teamwork used to do. Today, Paul does most of the work so recruiters can focus on what really counts: people.

And that is just the beginning. Our vision is to automate the entire process: from applying via WhatsApp, to pre-screening, a short language check and a mini interview, to creating a contract. Everything in one flow. Anything with Paul.