Work-ID AG, a Swiss startup focused on skills-based talent matching, has secured €4.2 million in funding to advance its mission of connecting employers with candidates based on capabilities rather than traditional demographic markers. The Thalwil-based company launched Skills-Manager, a platform designed to help organizations identify and develop talent through competency mapping.
The funding round comes as companies increasingly seek alternatives to conventional hiring practices that often emphasize age, appearance, and background over actual abilities. Work-ID AG’s approach centers on making professional capabilities transparent while keeping personal characteristics anonymous during the initial screening process.
Skills-Manager Addresses Talent Visibility Gap
The newly launched Skills-Manager platform enables companies to catalog existing capabilities within their organizations and identify potential skill gaps before they become critical shortages. The tool maintains a database of current employees, past candidates, and prospective applicants, preventing valuable connections from being lost in traditional hiring processes.
“Being able to stay in touch with people who show interest in us as an employer offers us enormous opportunities. And the fact that it’s so easy is all the more valuable” ~ Remo Noser of Noser Engineering, an early adopter of the platform.
The system operates on a freemium model without requiring integration with existing company systems, making it accessible to organizations of varying sizes and technical capabilities.
Founder’s Three-Decade Labor Market Experience
Cornel Müller, Work-ID AG’s founder and lead investor, brings more than 30 years of labor market expertise to the venture. His analysis of current employment challenges differs from conventional wisdom about skill shortages.
“The skills shortage isn’t the main problem. People and companies simply can’t find each other. The root cause is a lack of transparency. The focus isn’t on what matters: people’s abilities” ~ Cornel Müller, Founder.
This perspective shaped Work-ID AG’s core philosophy: prioritizing demonstrated capabilities over traditional resume elements that may not predict job performance.
New Leadership and Strategic Partnerships
Renato Profico joined as CEO in early August, bringing two decades of experience from leadership roles at JobCloud and Doodle. His background spans digital recruiting and software-as-a-service operations.
“I am very excited to transform the labor market with Work-ID AG. The time is now” Renato Profico stated upon accepting the position.
The company has established research collaborations with prominent Swiss institutions including the University of St. Gallen, University of Zurich, EPFL, ZHAW, and the Swiss Federal University for Vocational Education and Training. These partnerships stem from the Innosuisse flagship project “Swiss Circular Economy for Skills and Competences.”
Digital Skills Passport Launch Planned
Work-ID AG plans to introduce a consumer-facing product on September 15, 2025. The Work-ID digital skills passport will be available to all Swiss workers and job seekers, creating a standardized way to document and verify professional capabilities.
The individual-focused tool complements Skills-Manager by providing workers with a portable record of their abilities that can be shared with potential employers while maintaining privacy controls.
Strategic Investor Support
The funding round attracted strategic investors aligned with Work-ID AG’s employment market goals. The Swiss Commercial Association and Zurich Commercial Association both participated, reflecting their interest in modernizing hiring practices.
“For decades we’ve championed fair, progressive working conditions, equal opportunities, and employability in Switzerland” ~ Sascha M. Burkhalter, CEO of the Swiss Commercial Association.
Amalia Zurkirchen, Managing Director of the Zurich Commercial Association, emphasized the long-term vision: “Not only do we want to actively counter the skills shortage, but we also aim to strengthen the Swiss labor market for the long term. Skills are the currency of tomorrow’s labor market.”
Future of Work Group AG also invested, bringing additional market expertise through its portfolio companies x28 AG and jobchannel ag, along with support from Swiss HR professionals.