While companies are pressured to stay agile, hiring top-tier tech talent, one of the biggest bottlenecks, is still being hired. Traditional outsourcing is not maintained. Long lead times, outdated processes, and strict contracts make it difficult for businesses to experiment, adapt or move quickly. At the same time, a new generation of highly skilled freelancers demand flexibility, autonomy and meaningful work, rather than being trapped in the corporate structure.
Madrid-based Shaker bets that the future belongs to a hybrid team built on demand. The startup, which connects companies with vetted high-tech freelancers and AI agents, has secured a 14 million euro Series A round to expand its AI-driven platform across Europe. The round was led by Parttech with support from Kfund, Brighteye Ventures, Athos Capital and Wayra.
With new funds, Shaker wants to replace outsourcing with an agile freelance team
Shakers’ platform helps businesses build a fully assembled team in minutes. With over 1,000 data points, AI matches freelancers not only by skill but also by experience and team fit. This means there is less delay in initial interviews, technical evaluations, and projects off the ground.
Shaker was founded in 2021 by four consecutive entrepreneurs in Madrid. It was founded by Mata (CEO), Nico De Luis (COO), Adrian De Pedro (CPO), and Jaimecastillo (CRO). The team brings much of the AI expertise, software development chops, and real-world experiences on both sides of the freelance equation as talent and recruitment managers.
Since its launch in 2021, the company has onboarded over 10,000 freelancers and has collaborated with over 450 companies, including heavyweights such as Microsoft, Inditex and Telefónica. Revenue has risen more than six times over the past year, with 60% of that coming from customer return.
As co-founder and CEO Héctor Mata states, “The convergence of AI and independent talent is not a trend. It is a new operating model. The demand for professional technical talent is rising rapidly, but traditional outsourcing models have not evolved in decades. Agility to innovate faster.”
“Freelancer OS” has features that are often reserved for full-time roles such as banking, insurance, and productivity tools, all integrated into the platform. The goal is to provide freelancers with the freedom and flexibility they want.
Startup growth is due to the changing market for IT outsourcing in Europe. The forecast predicts that the sector will increase from 180 billion euros to more than 280 billion euros by 2030. Shaker wants to be the go-to operating system for that shift.
The new funds will be used to accelerate expansion across Europe, double teams, deploy deeper AI integrations, and help freelancers and businesses work together more seamlessly. By 2027, the company expects to coordinate more than 10,000 hybrid projects.
Simone Riva, Parttech’s senior principal, said: “At Parttech, we believe that extraordinary talent is always at the heart of our work while AI is restructuring our work. From our first conversation, it was clear that the shaker team was building something special. We are excited to support them as they expand to Spain, Europe and beyond.”
With both AI and freelance work accelerated across the industry, Shakers have designed them in the infrastructure layer behind faster, smarter, and more flexible ways of working.
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