Stems
Stems is a Paris-based job referral platform, founded in 2024, that connects companies with a global network of trusted scouts (employees, recruiters, industry experts) to source qualified candidates via paid referrals on a transaction-based, self-serve model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Stems does
Stems (legally STEMS SAS) is a Paris-based, private job referral platform founded in 2024 that operates a two-sided digital marketplace connecting companies seeking to hire talent with a network of 'scouts' — defined as employees, independent recruiters, and industry experts who refer qualified candidates from their professional networks. Companies post job openings on stems-app.com and access a global referable talent pool; scouts earn referral bonuses set by the employer when their referrals are successfully hired. The company self-describes as serving SMBs and individual hiring managers through fully self-serve onboarding, with no platform subscription or listing fees.
The platform's core technology stack consists of four differentiated features: a Trust Score Algorithm that rates users based on platform activity to filter spam and low-quality referrals; AI-powered personalization that delivers tailored job recommendations based on user history, preferences, and professional network; ATS integration to plug into existing applicant tracking systems; and an automated payment management system for scout bonus invoicing, transactions, and tracking. Marketing relies primarily on LinkedIn and the company's website (stems-app.com and about.stems-app.com). The legal entity is registered in France, with headquarters at Spaces Opéra, 7 rue Meyerbeer, 75009 Paris.
Stems operates on a transaction-based revenue model: companies pay only the referral bonus they set for successful hires, and the platform derives revenue from a take rate on these bonus transactions. No subscription, listing, or platform fees are charged, and pricing is not publicly disclosed in detail. The company has two co-founders (Youssef Ben Mahmoud and Cédric de Sereys) and one advisor (Cédric Lamargot), with 1-10 total employees, no disclosed institutional funding, no named customers, and no disclosed revenue. The operating geography is listed as Western Europe/France, though the platform claims global reach.
Stems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stems
- Legal name
- STEMS SAS
- Website
- https://stems-app.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Stems is a Paris-based job referral platform, founded in 2024, that connects companies with a global network of trusted scouts (employees, recruiters, industry experts) to source qualified candidates via paid referrals on a transaction-based, self-serve model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recruitment Platform
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- B2B Channel Partners & Referral Agencies (Cross-Industry Referral) (FSAEAMAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Lead Generation & List Building Services (Prospecting, Data Sourcing) (BPAFAKAE)
Keywords
Where Stems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Stems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Referral Bonus Transaction: Companies pay only the referral bonus they set for successful hires. Stems charges no platform fees - revenue is derived from transaction fees on referral bonuses when a hire is successfully made through the platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-per-referral model with no platform fees |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Stems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stems operates a two-sided job referral platform that connects companies posting open roles with a global network of trusted scouts — employees, recruiters, and industry experts — who submit qualified candidate referrals from their professional networks. Companies pay only the referral bonus they set, plus Stems' transaction fee on successful hires, with no platform or subscription fees; revenue is derived from commissions on these referral bonus transactions.
Product overview
Stems is a unified job referral platform that connects companies with a global network of trusted scouts to source high-quality talent. The platform consists of the core Stems Job Referral Platform, which enables companies to post jobs and access a referable talent pool, supported by integrated features including a Trust Score System for spam prevention, AI-Powered Personalization for job recommendations, and a Payment Management System for automated referral bonus processing. The platform also includes ATS integration capabilities for seamless recruitment workflow management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Stems Job Referral Platform A self-serve, web-based two-sided platform that connects companies posting job openings with a global network of trusted scouts who refer qualified candidates from their professional networks. The platform includes trust score filtering to combat spam, AI-powered personalization for matching referrals to relevant jobs, automated referral bonus payouts, and native ATS integration; companies pay only the referral bonus they set plus a Stems transaction fee upon a successful hire.
Quantifiable outcome
- Companies save over $7,500 per referral hire compared to traditional hiring methods
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Stems
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Stems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
Stems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Stems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Teamable: Teamable is an employee referral platform that helps companies source candidates through their employees' networks. It competes head-to-head with Stems on the same core use case (referral-based hiring), with overlapping target customers and similar network-driven mechanics.
- Boon (goboon.co): Boon is an AI-powered employee referral platform that automates referral requests, tracks payouts, and integrates with ATS systems. Directly comparable to Stems in product scope, ATS integration approach, and incentive-driven referral mechanics.
- Drafted: Drafted is a referral-driven recruiting platform that matches candidates with referrers in a company's network. Highly comparable to Stems on the two-sided marketplace model and the use of professional networks to source candidates.
- RolePoint: RolePoint is an employee referral management platform that automates referral programs and integrates with major ATS providers. Comparable to Stems on referral workflow automation, ATS integration, and enterprise HR buyer.
- Comeet: Comeet is a collaborative recruiting platform with built-in employee referral functionality, candidate management, and integrations. Overlaps with Stems on referral sourcing, candidate tracking, and ATS-style workflow.
- EmployeeReferrals.com: EmployeeReferrals.com provides dedicated employee referral software with tracking, payouts, and ATS integration. Closely matches Stems' core value proposition of automating referral bonuses and ATS workflow.
Broad incumbents
- Workable: Workable is an established ATS and recruitment platform that includes an employee referral module as part of its broader hiring suite. Comparable as a competitor for the same buyer budget but with much wider product breadth and incumbent distribution.
- Greenhouse: Greenhouse is a leading ATS that offers structured employee referral tools as part of its enterprise hiring platform. Represents the broad-incumbent threat: companies may build referral workflows inside their existing ATS rather than adopt a standalone tool like Stems.
- LinkedIn (Talent Solutions): LinkedIn is the dominant professional network and the default channel for referral hiring, with InMail, Recruiter, and built-in employee referral features. It is the gravitational incumbent in the referral hiring category Stems is competing in.
Regional players
- Honeypot: Honeypot was a Berlin-based talent marketplace matching tech professionals with companies, historically focused on the German-speaking and broader European market. Comparable as a European tech-talent marketplace model, though primarily focused on passive candidate matching rather than referrals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Stems social profiles
Digital presenceStems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Stems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Stems
What does Stems do?
Stems operates a two-sided job referral platform that connects companies posting open roles with a global network of trusted scouts — employees, recruiters, and industry experts — who submit qualified candidate referrals from their professional networks. Companies pay only the referral bonus they set, plus Stems' transaction fee on successful hires, with no platform or subscription fees; revenue is derived from commissions on these referral bonus transactions.
Is Stems a public or private company?
Stems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Stems founded?
Stems was founded in 2024. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Stems based?
Stems is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Stems make money?
One revenue line is on record: referral Bonus Transaction.
Who are Stems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Teamable, Boon (goboon.co), Drafted, RolePoint, Comeet and EmployeeReferrals.com. Broad incumbents are Workable, Greenhouse and LinkedIn (Talent Solutions). Honeypot is listed as a regional player.
Does Stems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stems.
What industry is Stems in?
Stems's product category is Recruitment Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAMAN, B2B Channel Partners & Referral Agencies (Cross-Industry Referral), with a secondary code of BPAFAKAE, Lead Generation & List Building Services (Prospecting, Data Sourcing). Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.