Vovana Raises $500,000 from Y Combinator to Revolutionize Industrial Hiring
When a warehouse shift goes unfilled, operations grind to a halt. We're building the fastest way to fill those shifts - whether you need permanent hires or temporary coverage.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, February 15, 2025 — We're excited to announce that we've raised $500,000 in funding from Y Combinator. Our technology helps warehouses and distribution centers solve one of their most persistent operational challenges: unfilled shifts.
The Real Cost of Empty Shifts
Every unfilled shift in a warehouse costs money - delayed shipments, overtime pay, and lost productivity.
"Operations leaders tell us their biggest challenge isn't finding workers - it's finding them fast enough. When someone calls in sick or demand spikes unexpectedly, every hour counts," said co-founder and CEO Charlie Maki. "Meanwhile, staffing firms face their own challenge: the back-and-forth of phone calls, availability checks, and scheduling that slows down placements. We built our platform to solve both problems - helping warehouses build their workforce faster and helping staffing firms place more workers with less manual work."
How It Works
Our platform connects you with qualified workers in hours, not weeks. We handle everything from initial contact through final scheduling, ensuring only the most suitable candidates make it to your door - ready to work.
For warehouses, this means building your own bench of permanent employees without the typical hiring delays. For staffing firms, it means placing more workers faster with less manual work.
Already Delivering Results
We're already helping our early customers transform their hiring operations. Both have successfully hired multiple warehouse workers through our platform, finding qualified talent faster with less hassle than traditional methods.
What's Next
This funding will help us deliver on an ambitious promise: guaranteed shift coverage within 24 hours. We're building the infrastructure to maintain a constantly refreshed pool of pre-screened, available workers ready to start immediately.
Whether you're a warehouse looking to build your permanent workforce faster, or a staffing firm trying to place more workers with less overhead, we're building the tools to make 24-hour fulfillment the new standard in industrial hiring.
Article written by
Charlie Maki