Skello secures €200M for a European HR consolidation.
Most large funding rounds reduce the founders’ share, but Skello has managed to increase it. The profitable French HR startup has secured €200 million to expand its presence across Europe.
Based in Paris, Skello raised €200 million with Bridgepoint as the lead investor, as reported by EU-Startups. Notably, the founders and managers ended up owning a larger portion of the company, unlike the usual trend, as highlighted by Tech Funding News. Existing investors Partech and XAnge reinvested, and Bridgepoint becomes the biggest external shareholder.
Financing from strength
Skello is able to achieve this because it doesn't rely on the funds for survival. The company became profitable in 2025 and reached over €50 million in annual recurring revenue this year. It develops AI-driven scheduling and HR software for frontline teams, who account for about 55 percent of Europe's workforce—a demographic that digital tools have historically neglected.
Founded in 2016 by Quitterie Mathelin-Moreaux and Emmanuelle Fauchier-Magnan, both former Partech employees, Skello now serves around 30,000 businesses and 700,000 daily users, ranging from small restaurants to larger chains like Starbucks and Intermarché. The team of 400 operates from offices in Paris, Lille, and Barcelona.
A European acquisition strategy
Skello has designated the funds for growth initiatives. In addition to investing in AI and hiring more staff, it plans to pursue acquisitions. This strategy aims to consolidate smaller competitors in what Bridgepoint describes as a "largely underserved and fragmented" market. The plan includes the addition of around 100 new hires in 2026 across technology, data, and sales.
The tool driving their efforts is Skello Assistant, an AI-based agent launched in 2025 that identifies overtime issues, rectifies payroll errors, and creates compliant schedules. The founders emphasize that it enhances managers' capabilities rather than replacing them and assert it saves each manager approximately 35 hours per month.
Why this is significant
The market for frontline workforce solutions is crowded with competitors. For instance, Spain’s Factorial raised $150 million at a $2.5 billion valuation in June, while Sweden’s Quinyx has secured over $100 million in funding.
However, few companies combine Skello’s profitability with a financial reserve aimed at acquisitions rather than mere survival. This positions the female-led French company for a unique opportunity to become a leading player in a fragmented software sector.
The challenge ahead is to translate its home-market dominance into genuine cross-border growth. That is the current test.
Published July 6, 2026 - 3:53 pm UTC
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Skello secures €200M for a European HR consolidation.
Skello, a French company, has secured €200 million in funding, spearheaded by Bridgepoint, to enhance its AI HR software designed for frontline teams, while the founders have increased their ownership.