What Tengai does

Tengai AB is a Stockholm-based SaaS company, founded in 2019, that sells an AI-powered automated candidate-screening platform to enterprise and public-sector recruiters. The core product consists of a conversational AI avatar that conducts structured, blind voice- and text-based interviews with job candidates 24/7, using Natural Language Understanding and speech recognition to capture responses in English and Swedish (with Norwegian and Danish added in the January 2026 Tengai 3.0 release). Interview outputs are scored against custom qualification questions and a psychometrically validated framework based on the Five-Factor Model (Big Five), producing an automated ranked shortlist with comparable competency data for each candidate.

The platform is structured around three integrated components: a candidate-facing Talent Hub (where job seekers schedule and complete interviews with pause/resume functionality and post-interview feedback), a recruiter-facing Recruiting Hub (where assignments are configured, questions weighted, and shortlists reviewed), and the AI Avatar itself. Tengai provides an open API and native integrations with five ATS platforms (Teamtailor, Jobylon, Varbi, ReachMee, Talent Tech), allowing the screening workflow to run inside existing recruitment technology stacks. The platform holds ISO 27001, 27017, 27018, and 14001 certifications, is GDPR-compliant, stores data exclusively on Swedish servers, and is positioned as compliant with the EU AI Act for high-risk recruitment AI systems.

Tengai generates revenue through subscription-based SaaS contracts sold primarily via a consultative enterprise field-sales motion, with additional reach through ATS integration partners and recruitment agency partnerships (notably TNG). Customer evidence spans roughly 15 named organizations across banking (SEB, DNB Bank), staffing (Adecco, TNG), retail and building materials (Byggmax), public sector and municipalities (Samhall, Region Gotland, Kinda kommun, Nacka Municipality, Södertälje stad, Orust kommun), media (Pophouse Entertainment), consulting (Altran), and IT (Ada Digital). The company reports 1-10 employees, has raised approximately $2.65M across two funding rounds in 2019 and 2020, and maintains leadership under founder and CEO Elin Öberg Mårtenzon, with a CTO, CPO, Head of Sales, and Commercial/Customer Success lead.

Name

Tengai

Legal name

Tengai AB

Website

https://tengai.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tengai AB is a Stockholm-based SaaS company that provides an AI avatar-powered automated candidate screening platform for enterprise and public-sector recruiters, conducting blind, psychometrically validated voice interviews and producing ranked shortlists integrated with major ATS systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Recruitment Screening Software

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration) (HDAAAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII) (HDAEANAG), Voice Assistants & Voice UI (VUI) (HDAAAFAD)

Keywords

• AI recruitment screening
• Automated candidate interviewing
• Applicant tracking integration
• Personality assessment software
• Unbiased hiring tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription: Tengai operates as a cloud-based SaaS platform with subscription-based pricing for recruitment automation services. Organizations pay for access to the platform including AI interviews, shortlist generation, and candidate management features. Pricing is likely tiered based on volume and feature access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tengai provides a cloud-based AI recruitment screening platform where an interactive AI avatar conducts structured blind interviews with candidates 24/7 using voice and text via Natural Language Understanding. The platform replaces CV screening, phone interviews, and first-round selection, producing an automatically ranked shortlist with validated competency data grounded in the Five-Factor Model (Big Five). Customers include enterprise, public sector, and recruitment agency buyers who integrate Tengai through their existing ATS systems.

Product overview

Tengai is a unified automated screening and recruitment platform comprising multiple integrated modules. The core product is the AI Avatar that conducts structured blind interviews with candidates 24/7, powered by Natural Language Understanding for conversational interaction. Candidates interact through the Tengai Talent Hub (candidate portal), while recruiters manage the process via Tengai Recruiting Hub (recruiter interface). The platform generates Automated Shortlists with scientifically validated competency data based on the Five-Factor Model (Big-5) personality framework. All components work together to replace CV screening, phone interviews, and initial selection while ensuring EU AI Act compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tengai Core Platform An automated screening and recruitment solution where candidates interact with an AI avatar in structured interviews, generating validated competency data compiled into scientific shortlists for faster, smarter hiring decisions. Validated by psychometric experts and compliant with GDPR and EU AI Act. Sold to enterprise, public sector, and recruitment agency buyers.
• Tengai AI Avatar An interactive, engaging AI assistant that conducts the initial screening dialogue with candidates. The avatar conducts blind interviews 24/7, using human-like movements and Natural Language Understanding to interpret speech, and guides candidates through structured interviews with personalized tips and real-time responses in English and Swedish.
• Tengai Talent Hub The candidate-facing portal where job seekers complete their AI-powered screening interview. Candidates can schedule interviews, take practice interviews, pause and resume interviews, receive feedback, and access their interview data. Available on mobile or desktop without downloads.
• Tengai Recruiting Hub The recruiter and hiring manager interface for creating assignments, configuring interview parameters, weighting personality traits, inviting candidates, monitoring interview progress in real time, and reviewing automated shortlists with clear scores and structured competency data.
• Tengai 3.0 Major version release of the Tengai platform adding additional language support and enhanced customization capabilities to meet market demand for screening tools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% interview completion rate for candidates who start a Tengai interview
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TeamtailorcoreTechnology or IntegrationATS integration partnership allowing Tengai to be accessed directly within the Teamtailor recruitment platform, enabling seamless workflow for shared customers.
• JobyloncoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with Jobylon ATS that enabled Byggmax to use Tengai's automated screening directly in their existing recruitment system without requiring a separate login or workflow.
• VarbicoreTechnology or IntegrationATS integration partnership highlighted as a particular highlight by Tengai's Head of Sales, enabling recruitment automation within the Varbi platform.
• ReachMeecoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership used by customers like Vision to combine candidate application management with AI-powered screening interviews.
• TNGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with TNG recruitment agency, who co-developed the approach with Tengai for large-scale leader recruitment (70 leaders via 3,402 interviews). TNG's CEO Åsa Edman Källströmer is a vocal advocate for Tengai's scientific, bias-free approach.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Talkpush: Direct competitor offering voice- and chat-based conversational AI for high-volume frontline recruitment. Targets very similar high-volume hiring segments (retail, BPO, logistics) with AI-driven candidate screening and shortlisting, comparable in product and GTM to Tengai.
• HireVue: Direct competitor offering AI-driven video and structured interviewing for recruitment. Targets similar enterprise and high-volume hiring use cases with automated candidate screening, scoring, and shortlisting, and has been a long-standing incumbent in AI recruitment screening.
• Sapia.ai: Direct competitor offering AI-powered blind chat-based interview screening for recruitment, focused on reducing bias and automating shortlisting. Operates in a similar 'conversational AI for hiring' category as Tengai with overlapping enterprise and high-volume hiring customers.
• Paradox (Olivia AI): Direct competitor providing a conversational AI assistant that automates candidate engagement, screening, and scheduling for high-volume hiring. Targets similar enterprise and front-line worker use cases with a chat-based assistant, closely comparable in business model and functionality to Tengai's AI avatar.
• Mya Systems (StepStone Group): Direct competitor providing a conversational AI recruiter chatbot that screens, engages, and qualifies candidates via chat and messaging. Now part of StepStone Group, with overlapping recruitment automation use cases and a similar enterprise sales motion to Tengai.

Broad incumbents

• Eightfold AI: Broad incumbent providing an enterprise AI talent intelligence platform covering sourcing, screening, matching, and workforce planning. Competes with Tengai in AI-driven candidate matching and screening but at much larger enterprise scale and with substantially more capital raised.
• Workday Recruiting: Broad incumbent HCM and recruiting suite used by large enterprises, embedding AI-driven candidate matching and screening. Competes with Tengai for enterprise HR technology spend and could either partner with or squeeze Tengai as Workday expands its own AI recruiting capabilities.
• iCIMS: Broad incumbent enterprise talent acquisition platform with embedded AI screening, candidate matching, and CRM. Competes indirectly with Tengai for enterprise recruiting budgets and is increasingly adding conversational AI features that overlap with Tengai's positioning.
• Pymetrics (Harver): Broad incumbent in pre-hire assessment and AI-driven candidate matching, now part of Harver. Overlaps with Tengai in personality-based and competency-based screening for high-volume hiring, but offers a broader assessment suite rather than a single conversational avatar.

Emerging players

• Humanly: Emerging player offering an AI recruiting assistant that automates candidate screening, scheduling, and reference checks. Targets similar high-volume hiring and enterprise recruiting teams with conversational AI, but is earlier-stage and smaller than Tengai.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4uLuXae-LhELB-Dzs-CeCw
• Facebookfacebook.com/tengaiunbiased
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tengai-ab
• Instagraminstagram.com/tengai_ab
• Xx.com/tengai_unbiased

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

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 Tengai