What Rooster does

Rooster is a cloud-based SaaS company founded in 2020 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, that delivers an integrated HR technology platform targeting startups and small-to-mid-sized businesses in emerging Asian markets. The product combines an Applicant Tracking System (Rooster ATS) with a Human Resource Information System (Rooster HRIS), performance management (Rooster Retain), a headhunting feature (Rooster Hunt), a public job board (rooster.jobs), and adjacent staffing services (Rooster Staffing). The ATS pipeline includes customizable hiring workflows, knockout/screening questions, pre-recorded video interviews, candidate assessments, and integrated interview scheduling, while the HRIS covers employee records, onboarding workflows, payroll/benefits tracking, leave and attendance management, and review cycles.

Underlying the platform is a standard multi-tenant browser-based SaaS architecture delivered via app.rooster.org, with native careers-page embedding through a WordPress plugin and HTML/URL shortcode integration. Third-party extensibility is provided through a Zapier integration connecting to 3,000+ apps, plus social-media ad integration with Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for candidate sourcing. Customer-facing differentiators cited by the company include an automated feedback mechanism that sends application status updates to candidates, a self-serve onboarding model, and bundled 1:1 support.

Rooster monetizes primarily through low-priced subscription tiers: a $50/month ATS Hire plan, a $2/user/month HRIS fee, freemium access for up to 10 users with the first 25 applicants free, and a tiered rooster.jobs job-board posting schedule ranging from $10/year to $50/month. A professional services line (Rooster Staffing) supplies offshore team-building for tech talent. Distribution is product-led and self-serve, supplemented by accelerator partnerships (HeadStart in India, The Good Life X in Sri Lanka) and a direct sales motion (Book a Demo) for larger accounts. The company has raised a single $610,000 seed round at a $5M post-money valuation in May 2021 and operates with a 1–10 person team.

Name

Rooster

Legal name

Rooster

Website

https://rooster.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rooster is a Sri Lanka-based SaaS company that provides an integrated ATS, HRIS, and performance management platform for startups and SMEs in emerging Asian markets, monetizing through low-priced subscriptions and freemium self-serve onboarding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Resources Software

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud Operations Outsourcing (Cloud Managed Operations) (BPAEAMAC)

Keywords

• Applicant tracking system
• Human resource information
• Recruitment software platform
• Performance management software
• Employee onboarding software

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. ATS Subscription Plans: Monthly or annual subscription tiers for the Applicant Tracking System. The Hire plan at $50/month provides full ATS functionality including unlimited jobs, unlimited candidates, customizable pipelines, interview scheduling, and premium features.
2. Job Board Subscriptions: Posting packages for the rooster.jobs marketplace. Options include 2 Jobs ($10/year), 5 Jobs ($20/year), 10 Jobs ($35/year), 20 Jobs ($60/year), and Unlimited Jobs ($50/month). Premium job listings receive increased visibility on the job board.
3. HRIS Per-User Fee: Human Resource Information System charged at $2 per user per month. Includes secure employee records, payroll and benefits tracking, leave and attendance management, and performance management.
4. Freemium/Lead Generation: Free tier offering access to core ATS features with up to 10 users. First 25 applicants are free. Serves as a lead generation funnel to convert free users to paid plans. The first premium feature access was offered free until April 2021 during COVID-19 recovery.
5. Staffing Services: Offshore team building and staffing services for tech talent, helping companies grow using industry insights and local talent networks. Includes bespoke recruitment campaigns and team setup support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rooster sells a cloud-based, all-in-one HR software suite that combines an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), a Human Resource Information System (HRIS), and a performance management module called Retain, covering hiring, onboarding, payroll, leave, and employee reviews. The company also operates a public job board (rooster.jobs) and offers offshore staffing services (Rooster Staffing) for clients building tech teams. The platform is delivered as a SaaS web application with freemium, per-seat, and subscription pricing tiers, targeting startups, SMBs, and mid-market organizations in emerging markets.

Product overview

Rooster is an all-in-one HR platform combining a core Applicant Tracking System (ATS) with an HR Information System (HRIS), offering end-to-end coverage from hiring through employee management. The product portfolio centers on Rooster ATS for recruitment workflows including job posting, candidate screening, interview scheduling, and hiring pipeline management; Rooster HRIS for ongoing employee management covering payroll, onboarding, leave management, and benefits administration; Rooster Retain for performance management with customizable reviews and goal tracking; and Rooster Staffing Services for offshore team building. Additional capabilities include the Rooster Job Board marketplace, the Hunt headhunting feature for proactive candidate sourcing, and integrated video interview and assessment tools. The platform targets small to mid-sized businesses in emerging markets with affordable pricing and serves customers ranging from startups to enterprises managing 5,000+ employees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rooster ATS: Applicant Tracking System for streamlined recruitment processes
• Rooster HRIS
• Rooster Retain
• Rooster Staffing
• Rooster Hunt

Products and services

• Rooster ATS (Applicant Tracking System) End-to-end recruitment platform that helps businesses find, attract, and onboard talent, featuring automated applicant tracking, customizable hiring pipelines, candidate communication, interview scheduling, screening questions, video interviews, headhunting, assessments, and job requisition management. Targeted at startups, SMBs, and mid-market organizations seeking an affordable alternative to enterprise ATS solutions.
• Rooster HRIS (Human Resource Information System) Comprehensive HR management system covering payroll, benefits administration, employee onboarding, leave and attendance management, holiday calendars, no-pay leave policies, and performance tracking for up to 1,000+ employees. Designed for growing businesses that need to digitize HR processes and centralize employee records.
• Rooster Retain (Performance Management) Performance management and review platform featuring customizable review templates, 360-degree feedback, goal tracking, and automated review cycle management with deadline alerts. Helps HR teams reduce turnover and cut time spent coordinating reviews with managers.
• Rooster Staffing Services Offshore team staffing and recruitment service leveraging local talent networks, targeted sourcing campaigns, and recruitment workflow management to help companies build tech teams. Includes bespoke recruitment campaigns and team setup support delivered as a professional service.
• Rooster Job Board (rooster.jobs) Public job board at rooster.jobs with over 4,000 daily visits where paying Rooster customers can publish job listings with tiered pricing (2/5/10/20 jobs and unlimited), premium placement, and career page integration. Functions as a distribution channel for Rooster ATS customers and a marketplace for job seekers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 74% reduction in recruitment agency costs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Good Life XcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2021Partnership with The Good Life X, a Sri Lankan-based startup accelerator, to help elevate Sri Lankan startups through accessible HR technology. The accelerator fosters entrepreneurship through collaboration, expertise sharing, and knowledge sharing within an impact-driven startup and SME community.
• HeadStartcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2021Partnership with HeadStart, India's oldest and largest startup ecosystem development organization, to help early-stage Indian startups hire talent more effectively. This partnership marks Rooster's expansion into the Indian technology space and enables over 15,000 businesses to access affordable Applicant Tracking Software.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Recruitee: SMB-focused ATS with collaborative hiring pipelines and branded career pages. Comparable in product scope and SMB pricing tier to Rooster's ATS offering.
• Breezy HR: Affordable ATS for SMBs with end-to-end hiring workflows. Competes directly in the same price-sensitive SMB ATS segment as Rooster.
• Greenhouse: Direct ATS competitor explicitly benchmarked by Rooster. Greenhouse is a leading enterprise Applicant Tracking System, but priced ($6K-$25K/year) well above Rooster's $50/month tier, making it the reference point for Rooster's affordability positioning.
• Workable: Direct ATS plus HRIS competitor serving SMBs and mid-market with global pricing. Workable overlaps Rooster across ATS, HRIS-adjacent features, and emerging-market reach, and represents one of the most direct competitive threats.
• Zoho Recruit: Affordable, internationally available ATS with broad customization and bundled HR suite. Comparable to Rooster in targeting budget-conscious SMEs and offering ATS plus broader HR functionality, often at price points accessible to emerging-market customers.
• BambooHR: HRIS-focused platform serving SMBs with employee records, onboarding, and performance management. Highly comparable to Rooster's HRIS and Retain modules and a frequent competitor in the SME HR software market.
• Freshteam (Freshworks): ATS + HRIS suite from Freshworks targeting SMBs with affordable, integrated HR functionality. Closely parallels Rooster's all-in-one positioning and target customer segment.

Broad incumbents

• Lever: Established ATS plus CRM platform for talent acquisition teams. Comparable to Rooster's ATS core but operating at a higher enterprise price tier and feature breadth.
• Gusto: US-focused SMB HR and payroll platform. While geographically concentrated in the US, Gusto is a relevant comparable for Rooster's HRIS + payroll positioning and SMB GTM motion.
• Rippling: Broader HR, payroll, and IT platform expanding down-market from enterprise. Rippling's scope exceeds Rooster but overlaps in HRIS, onboarding, and ATS-adjacent functionality for growing SMB and mid-market customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RoosterApp
• Instagraminstagram.com/roosterapp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rooster