Willo has secured GBP £3 million in investment from Peter Bauer to accelerate its development of verification tools in response to a significant increase in AI-generated job applications and related credential fraud.
The Glasgow-based recruitment technology platform's funding round is reportedly the largest in its history, taking the company's total backing to more than GBP £5.9 million. Bauer, known for co-founding Mimecast, has now invested over £3.7 million in Willo within the past 18 months and will provide further support for Willo's growth in the US market.
Growth and global reach
Founded in 2020 by Scottish entrepreneurs Euan Cameron, Andrew Wood, and Hamish Livingston, Willo has reported a 64-fold increase in revenue since its inception, with 70% growth achieved in 2025 alone. The platform's services are now used by a roster of prominent employers, including Toyota, Samsung, DPD Group, and the NHS. Willo operates in 195 countries, where it processes millions of candidate interviews each year.
The company states that the new investment will help it continue expanding in North America, a region now responsible for over 50% of its revenues. Funding will also accelerate the launch of Willo Verified Profiles, a proposed feature designed to help employers quickly verify candidate credentials and address the growing complexity of managing applications, which is increasingly influenced by AI tools.
Verification technology
Willo's Verified Profiles will aggregate applicant data from global third-party sources, allowing employers to confirm information such as identity, education, work history, and skills. This automation aims to address the challenge of validating the rising number of AI-influenced applications, which executives say makes manual verification nearly impossible for hiring teams.
The development comes amid a significant rise in fraudulent job applications. Recent research by Jisc found that 67% of large UK companies have seen increased application fraud associated with generative AI tools.
Company response
Euan Cameron, Willo's Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, stated that the new investment would enable Willo to address a growing market need and that the funding represents "a major vote of confidence" in the company's strategic direction.
"Employers tell us they are inundated with AI-generated CVs that are hard to verify and review. That's making it increasingly difficult for genuine, qualified candidates to stand out."
Cameron further stated:
"With Willo Verified Profiles, we're building a new layer of trust into the hiring process - verifying identity, qualifications, skills and experience using a combination of automation, third-party data, and video interaction. It will be like a 'blue tick' for credentials."
He added his comments on Bauer's involvement:
"There are thousands of businesses Peter Bauer could back, so for him to double down on Willo in 2025 is an incredible endorsement of what we're building. This is an enormous step forward for the team and our vision for how hiring should work in an AI enabled world. To have Peter and his team along with us on this journey is massive."
Investor backing
Bauer, who led Mimecast to IPO and stepped down as its CEO in 2024, is now an investor in several technology start-ups. Regarding his support for Willo, Bauer said:
"Willo is firmly established as one of the most progressive and exciting platforms in recruitment technology. It simplifies hiring for employers, improves access for candidates, and puts trust back into the process."
He also commented:
"The team has built a solution that is ready for the challenges of today's market - and I'm fully behind their vision for the next stage of growth."
Future plans
The company has stated that the new funding will also support additional hiring across the UK and the US, and that plans are underway for a North American headquarters on the US East Coast to further scale Willo's local presence.