Key Points
- Mappa uses AI to analyze voice patterns and assess candidate traits such as communication style, empathy, and confidence.
- Founded by Sarah Lucena in 2023, the startup has raised $3.4 million in a seed round led by Tim Draper’s Draper Associates.
- The platform reports a 2% turnover rate for hires, far below the industry average of around 30%.
- Over 3,000 hires have been made through Mappa, with more than 60% belonging to women, LGBTQ+ individuals, or immigrants.
- Mappa serves more than 130 U.S. customers and generates over $4 million in annualized recurring revenue.
- The company is a top‑20 finalist in the Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, showcasing its technology to investors and enterprises.
- Mappa’s API is being used for founder evaluation, skill‑gap analysis in education, and potential credit assessment for loan applicants.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
AI‑Powered Behavioral Intelligence for Hiring
Mappa, the behavioral intelligence startup founded by Sarah Lucena, offers an AI‑driven platform that evaluates job applicants through voice analysis. Candidates answer questions posed by an AI agent, and the system extracts voice patterns that correlate with traits such as communication style, empathy, and confidence. The platform then provides hiring managers with a shortlist of candidates whose traits align with the role, reducing reliance on gut feelings and unconscious bias.
Growth, Funding, and Market Reach
Since its inception in 2023, Mappa has attracted more than 130 customers across the United States and generated over $4 million in annualized recurring revenue. The company secured a $3.4 million seed round led by Tim Draper’s Draper Associates. Leveraging highly curated datasets focused on human behavior, Mappa has positioned itself as a data‑rich alternative to traditional hiring tools.
Impact on Turnover and Diversity
Mappa reports that the standard annual turnover rate for companies hovers around 30%, whereas employees hired through its platform experience a turnover rate of just 2%. The technology has facilitated over 3,000 hires, with more than 60% of those hires being women, LGBTQ+ individuals, or immigrants, highlighting its potential to promote a more equitable hiring process.
TechCrunch Disrupt Showcase
As a Startup Battlefield top‑20 finalist, Mappa will demonstrate its capabilities at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 in San Francisco. The event provides a stage for the company to connect with investors, such as Tim Draper, who personally uses Mappa to evaluate founders, as well as enterprises seeking to integrate behavioral analysis into broader applications.
Future Applications Beyond Recruitment
Beyond hiring, Mappa’s API is gaining traction in areas like founder assessment for venture capital, skill‑gap analysis for educational platforms, and even credit evaluation for loan applicants lacking extensive credit histories. Lucena envisions the startup evolving from a service‑focused model to an infrastructure provider that enables fairer assessments across multiple domains.
Source: techcrunch.com