Peter Bauer’s latest backing makes up the largest single investment round in Willo’s history, taking total funding in the scale-up to more than £5.9 million ($8 million). Bauer, who co-founded Mimecast in 2003 and led it to IPO, has now invested more than £3.7 million ($5 million) in Willo in the past 18 months. The cybersecurity entrepreneur will also support Willo’s strategic approach to growth in the US. 

The candidate screening platform, founded during 2020 by Scottish tech entrepreneurs Euan Cameron, Andrew Wood, and Hamish Livingston has experienced 64x revenue growth since its first year of trading - including 70% in 2025 - and is now used by some of the world’s biggest employers, including Toyota, Samsung, DPD Group, and the NHS. Willo is active in 195 countries and processes millions of candidate interviews every year.

The funding will support Willo’s expansion in North America – where the company already generates over 50% of its revenues – and fast-track the launch of Willo Verified Profiles, a new credential verification feature designed to help employers cut through AI-generated noise in the hiring process. 

The first-of-its-kind technology will aggregate pre-existing third party data sources from across the world to enable employers to automatically verify applicant credentials – including identity, education, work history, and skills assessments – a near impossible task for hiring teams given the volume of AI-driven applications in the modern environment.

The move comes as the use of AI tools by job applicants to enhance or fabricate qualifications becomes more widespread. Recent research by Jisc found that 67% of large UK companies have experienced a rise in application fraud linked to the use of generative AI.

Cameron, Willo’s co-founder and CEO, said the investment will enable the company to address a growing market need, adding that the funding – secured on strong terms in a tough investment climate – was a ‘major vote of confidence’ in Willo’s direction and market opportunity.

He said: “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.

“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. 

“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.” 

Bauer founded Mimecast with co-founder Neil Murray in 2003, and it has since grown into one of the world’s biggest email security platforms, supporting over 42,000 organisations, working with the likes of Google and Microsoft. He stepped down as CEO in 2024, and now invests in some of the most prominent tech start-ups in the world.

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. 

“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.”

Willo’s new funding will also support new hires across the UK and US, with a new North American headquarters planned for the US East Coast as Willo scales its on-the-ground presence.