After graduating from Cornell University, Christophe Gerlach spent nearly two years investing exclusively in HR tech startups for General Atlantic. Investing was exciting, but Gerlach was yearning to get back into entrepreneurship.
While at Cornell, Gerlach (pictured above, right) built and sold a food delivery startup alongside classmate Pedro Bobrow (pictured above, left), a Brazilian native. Then in late 2022, Gerlach and Bobrow (previously a product manager at Lyft) teamed up again, merging their sector expertise and cultural roots to launch Comp, an HR tech startup focused on Brazil.
Comp is building AI-powered HR software that can assist with tasks like recruiting, setting compensation policies, and designing performance review systems. The startup also provides “forward-deployed” experts — former HR executives — who work with customers to design strategies for compensation, performance, and recruiting.
While companies in Brazil often hire compensation consultants, Gerlach says its forward-deployed HR executives shouldn’t be viewed as consultants, but rather as extensions of existing HR teams.
These executives also play a critical role in refining Comp’s technology. “Our forward-deployed HR execs do all the work manually at first, and then they use that work to train the AI how to think in best practices,” Gerlach said.
The idea, of course, is that over time, Comp’s AI agents will become fully autonomous and capable of performing traditional HR functions.
While Comp currently offers AI-supported HR services augmented by professionals, its goal is to displace both traditional consultancies and HR software. As Gerlach puts it: “Rippling sells software to junior HR teams to make them more productive. We become the HR team.”
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To that end, Comp this week raised a $17.25 million Series A round led by Khosla Ventures, marking the VC firm’s first-ever investment in a Brazilian company. Khosla general partner Keith Rabois has joined Comp’s board of directors as part of the deal.
Comp is positioning itself as an AI alternative to traditional compensation consultancies like Mercer, Korn Ferry, and Willis Towers Watson. It also competes with global HR platforms such as Rippling and Workday.
Gerlach says Comp launched in Brazil because many companies in the country lack traditional HR software, which has allowed the startup to introduce a new, automated model rather than competing with established platforms.
The business model seems to have already gained traction in Brazil: Its clients include Nubank, QuintoAndar, Creditas, and “pretty much every unicorn in Brazil,” Gerlach said. The startup is now eyeing an expansion into the U.S. and other countries.
Other investors in Comp’s Series A included existing backers Kaszek and Canary, as well as new investors Abstract Ventures and Endeavor Catalyst.
