Introducing Oyster: The Company Changing the Way the World Hires
Oyster is on a mission to empower the best talent around the world with access to the best opportunities, regardless of where they are based.
Companies will never hire and manage the same way again; opportunities are no longer defined by location, region, or country. Capital has flowed increasingly around the world to the best entrepreneurial opportunities, while talent has not been as portable. The forcing function of a global pandemic has accelerated the shift to remote work and has fundamentally changed how employees and employers are approaching talent.
For the past several decades, if you were hiring or looking to work at an early-growth stage tech company, you were limited to a handful of locations. While there were (and still remain) benefits to being in the heart of an innovation hub, there were equally as many drawbacks. The exceptionally high operational costs of maintaining a centrally-located company created a massive barrier to entry and, oftentimes, created an HQ bias.
The past year has leveled the playing field. Companies are free to think globally and free to hire the top talent best suited for their needs, regardless of their location. Emergence’s approach to investing has followed the same path. Investment opportunities have expanded exponentially, and now we are partnering with entrepreneurs all over the world.
Today, we are incredibly excited to welcome Oyster to the Emergence Family. As the leading HR platform for globally distributed companies, our investment in Oyster speaks to our belief that the remote workforce is here to stay. Read more about the $20M Series A in TechCrunch.
Our conviction in Oyster is reinforced by Founder and CEO Tony Jamous’ ambition. Born in Lebanon, he emigrated several times for the purpose of building his previous company, Nexmo (a Twilio competitor that sold to Vonage). His experience building global companies and hiring talent across 50 countries led him to founding Oyster. Today, Tony and his team are on a mission to empower people around the world to work at world-class organizations, regardless of where they are based.
Access to high-quality jobs should not be a luxury reserved for those that have the opportunity to live in certain countries. Tony is especially focused on closing the gaps between skilled workers in developing economies and the growing workforce.
From the very beginning, it has been incredibly important to him that Oyster be a driver of social impact across four initiatives:
- Helping people live more fulfilled lives and reduce global inequality.
- Providing businesses the opportunity to hire from a wider pool of talent, creating a diverse workforce.
- Accelerating development in local communities by reducing brain drain and increasing talent’s financial and non-financial contributions.
- Easing the negative impacts of commuting and population density on the environment.
Oyster was granted B-Corporation certification (status pending); read more about the company’s thesis here.
There is no better moment in time for Oyster to scale. The team has worked incredibly hard in the last year and has significantly impacted companies and individuals across 100+ countries. Emergence invests in people who change the way the world works, and Tony and his team are at the forefront of the biggest change in the workforce for the digital age —a true embodiment of our mission.
Congratulations Tony, Jack, and Team—We are excited for the next chapter!
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