In today’s fast-moving freelance economy, finding the right tech talent can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. That was exactly my struggle when I was leading a tight-deadline product launch and needed specialized developers, designers, and data scientists. The Shakers, an AI-powered workforce orchestration platform that promises to assemble hybrid teams of human freelancers and AI agents in minutes, not days. After integrating Shakers into my hiring process, I went from dozens of generic resumes to a hand-picked shortlist tailored to my project’s exact needs—and even uncovered insights about candidate fit I never knew I could get.
Below, you’ll find an in-depth review of Shakers, covering its origins, the brains behind it, how it stays profitable, the partnerships fueling its growth, and my firsthand experience putting its standout features through the paces. Whether you’re a startup founder racing to build an MVP, a project manager juggling multiple sprints, or a talent leader aiming to streamline hiring, this guide will help you decide if Shakers is your new secret weapon.
What Is Shakers?
Shakers is a Madrid-based workforce orchestration platform that connects companies with vetted tech freelancers and autonomous AI agents to deliver complex, high-impact projects. Through its AI-driven interface—Shakers AI—users define project requirements step by step, receive real-time and cost estimates, and get instant recommendations for the most suitable talent. The platform also features Talent Insight, which transforms traditional resumes into interactive profiles, enabling data-driven comparisons and confidence-boosting hire decisions.
History Behind Shakers
Shakers was officially launched in 2021 after closing its first €1 million seed round, marking its entry with a small team and ambitious community-building efforts. In its inaugural year, the platform attracted over 1,000 freelancers and 100 companies, setting the stage for rapid growth. By 2023, Shakers had onboarded more than 6,000 freelancers and nearly 900 client companies, accelerating revenue and team size. In May 2025, Shakers secured a €14 million Series A led by Partech and KFund, bringing total investment to around €20 million and powering its European expansion and AI roadmap.
Who Are Shakers’ Founders?
Shakers was founded by four serial entrepreneurs: Héctor Mata (CEO), Adrián de Pedro, Jaime Castillo, and Nico de Luis. With backgrounds spanning management consulting, fintech, and AI, the founding team combined their expertise to tackle inefficiencies in talent sourcing and team assembly in the tech sector.
Are Shakers’ Models Open Source?
No—Shakers’ AI matchmaking algorithms and proprietary Talent Insight engine are closed source, protected under the company’s intellectual property. This ensures consistent quality control and data privacy for freelancers and clients alike.
How Does Shakers Make Money?
Shakers is free for companies to use; instead, it earns revenue by taking a commission on each project’s total value, varying based on project size, duration, and the freelancer’s rate. This commission-based model aligns Shakers’ success with that of its users—if you don’t hire, Shakers doesn’t earn.
What Partnerships Has Shakers Closed?
- Partech (lead investor in Series A) and KFund, Brighteye Ventures, Athos Capital, Wayra (Telefónica’s innovation arm) joined the €14 million round in May 2025.
- OECD.AI certified Shakers’ matchmaking system for algorithmic transparency, underscoring its commitment to ethical AI practices.
- Microsoft, Inditex, and Telefónica are among the more than 450 companies that leverage Shakers to staff projects, representing marquee partnerships across tech and retail.
How Much Funding Has Shakers Raised to Date?
- Seed Round: €6 million in 2023, led by Adevinta Ventures to develop proprietary AI team-assembly technology.
- Series A: €14 million in May 2025, led by Partech and KFund, bringing total funding to ~€20 million.
How Shakers Works?
- Sign-Up & Onboarding: I started by creating a company profile and defining my project scope in plain language. Within minutes, Shakers AI suggested optimal roles and screened rates based on market data.
- Talent Shortlist: Rather than sifting through hundreds of applications, I received a ranked shortlist of five freelancers whose skills and soft-skill profiles matched my brief—an “aha” moment in precision hiring.
- Interactive Evaluation: With Talent Insight, I compared candidates side by side, viewing project-specific ratings, sample work, and AI-predicted success metrics, which boosted my confidence in final selections.
- Team Assembly: After choosing my team, Shakers handled contracts, milestone payments, and even provided productivity tools within its Freelancer OS, streamlining management without manual processes.
Top Features & How They Work
| Feature | What It Does | How I Used It | Real-World Impact |
| Shakers AI | Automates project scoping and initial talent matching | Defined my project; received instant talent matches | Reduced screening time from days to minutes |
| Talent Insight | Interactive candidate profiles with soft-skill analytics | Compared top candidates based on AI-driven fit scores | Increased hire confidence and reduced mis-hires |
| Freelancer OS | End-to-end project management (contracts, payments, tools) | Tracked deliverables and milestones within platform | Simplified admin, freed team to focus on work |
| Real-Time Estimates | Dynamic cost and timeline projections using market data | Adjusted scope to optimize budget and deadlines | Prevented budget overruns and scope creep |
Ideal Use Cases
- Startup Founders racing to launch MVPs under tight deadlines.
- Project Managers coordinating multi-disciplinary sprints.
- Design Agencies needing rapid access to vetted UX/UI and AI specialists.
- Enterprise Innovation Teams experimenting with hybrid human-AI workflows.
Pricing, Plans & Trials
- Free Platform Access: No subscription fees for posting projects.
- Commission Structure: 10–20 % commission on freelancer fees (varies by project size and duration).
- Enterprise Packages: Custom volume discounts and premium support levels available for high-volume clients.
- Money-Back Guarantees: Shakers offers dispute resolution and funds held in escrow, ensuring payments only release upon milestone approval.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Rapid, AI-driven talent matching that saves weeks of recruitment time | Commission fees can be higher than direct freelance hiring |
| Interactive, data-backed profiles that reduce hiring risk | Proprietary AI—no open-source customization |
| End-to-end management (contracts, payments, productivity tools) | Learning curve for first-time users |
| Transparent cost and timeline estimates that aid budget planning | Limited to tech and creative freelance categories |
Comparison to Alternatives
- Upwork: Broad freelancer pool but relies on manual filtering; slower and more labor-intensive.
- Toptal: High-quality talent but costly and less AI-augmented; doesn’t offer built-in project management tools.
Conclusion
Shakers excels at speeding up tech hiring through intelligent automation and interactive profiles, making it perfect for teams that value agility and data-driven confidence in their hires. If you’re a project manager or founder who needs vetted, specialized tech talent quickly—and you don’t mind paying a commission for a premium, AI-powered experience—Shakers should be on your shortlist. If you’re budget-sensitive or require open-source flexibility, traditional freelance marketplaces may be more suitable.
FAQs
How much funding has Shakers raised to date?
In its seed round (H2 2021), Shakers raised €6 million, led by Adevinta Ventures and joined by Brighteye Ventures, Athos Capital, Wayra, Clave Capital, CDTI Innvierte, and angel investors. In May 2025, it closed a €14 million Series A round led by Partech and KFund—bringing total capital raised to approximately €20 million.
How does Shakers’ AI-driven matchmaking work?
Shakers’ platform evaluates over 1,000 data points per candidate—including technical skills, soft skills, experience, and cultural fit—to recommend the best human and AI-agent combinations for a given project. Its “Talent Insight” engine then presents interactive profiles and confidence scores, enabling data-driven hiring decisions without lengthy interviews.
Which marquee companies use Shakers?
More than 450 client companies—including Microsoft, Inditex, and Telefónica—leverage Shakers to staff tech projects swiftly and efficiently. The platform’s flexibility appeals to both startups racing to build MVPs and enterprises prototyping AI-infused workflows.
What services and features does Shakers offer?
- Shakers AI: Instant project scoping, talent matching, and dynamic cost/time estimates.
- Talent Insight: AI-powered, side-by-side candidate comparisons with skill and culture-fit analytics.
- Freelancer OS: An end-to-end dashboard for contracts, payments, messaging, and milestone tracking.
How many freelancers and projects has Shakers facilitated?
Since launch, Shakers has vetted and onboarded over 10,000 tech freelancers—dubbed “freeworkers”—and orchestrated hundreds of hybrid human-AI projects, with a goal of surpassing 10,000 by 2027 across Europe.
In which regions is Shakers available?
Shakers currently serves Europe, with its headquarters in Madrid, and plans to expand deeper into Western and Northern European markets following its Series A funding round.
Where can I learn more or get started?
Visit Shakers’ official website for detailed product overviews, pricing information, and to sign up for free platform access:
- Shakers by Partech
- FinSMEs Press Release