What LINKEYS does

Linkeys (legal entity Linkeys SA) is a Swiss cooptation (employee referral) recruitment platform founded in 2016 and headquartered at the Marly Innovation Center in Fribourg, Switzerland. The company operates a three-product suite addressing distinct buyer segments: Linkeys Community provides employers free, unlimited job posting and access to a network of 40,000+ active coopteurs (individual referrers called Linkers) who share job listings within their networks; Linkeys Intérim is tailored to staffing and interim agencies, offering ATS/ERP integration with automated referral bonus triggering for temporary workers; and MyLinkeys is a white-label solution that enables companies to deploy branded cooptation programs with communication templates and ATS connectivity across distinct business entities.

The platform is delivered as a cloud-hosted web application (app.linkeys.com) with native iOS and Android apps, infrastructure hosted on Hidora with renewable energy, and a workflow engine that generates unique tracking links per referral, centralizes candidate management, and automates bonus payouts (within approximately 7 days of a successful hire). Individual coopteurs access the platform for free, while companies pay annual subscriptions plus per-hire success fees; referral bonuses paid to coopteurs range from 50 to 2,000 EUR (averaging ~600 EUR), with over 100,000 EUR in bonuses disbursed to date.

Commercially, Linkeys combines product-led growth (free community access and mobile apps drive coopteur acquisition) with enterprise field sales targeting staffing agencies, HR departments of SMEs and mid-market companies, and interim agency directors. The company is owned by the Mare Nostrum Group (278+ HR professionals), which provides strategic backing, credibility, and distribution reach across the French-speaking HR market. Operations span Switzerland, France (entered 2018), and Portugal (entered 2020), with over 200 subscribing companies and staffing agencies including Club Med, Bouygues, and E-Intérim. Linkeys currently operates with approximately 13 employees.

Name

LINKEYS

Legal name

Linkeys SA

Website

https://linkeys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Linkeys is a Swiss cooptation recruitment platform that enables employers and staffing agencies to source candidates through a community of 40,000+ individual referrers (coopteurs), offering subscription-based access plus per-hire success fees across Switzerland, France, and Portugal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment Software

NAICS

Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Site / Branch Network Staffing (BPACACAJ), Agent of Record (AOR) / Contractor Engagement Services (BPACAGAB)

Keywords

• Employee referral platform
• Cooptation recruitment software
• Talent sourcing platform
• Staffing agency tools
• White-label HR solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Fribourg

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Company Subscription - Job Posting: Companies subscribe to monthly or annual plans that grant unlimited job posting rights and access to the cooptation platform. Pricing is published on the website and varies by solution tier (Community, Intérim, MyLinkeys).
2. Success Fee - Engagement Honoraries: A success fee (honorary) is charged per candidate successfully hired through the platform. The fee is displayed on the client's RMS platform and applies to all candidates who applied via Linkeys within 12 months of their application.
3. White-Label / MyLinkeys Licensing: Companies can subscribe to MyLinkeys, a white-label cooptation solution with dedicated entities, ATS connectivity, and branded communication templates, generating recurring subscription revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

LINKEYS operates a cloud-based cooptation (employee referral) recruitment platform that enables companies and staffing agencies to source qualified candidates through a community of 40,000+ active coopteurs (referrers). The platform offers three products — Linkeys Community (external referral access to the coopteur network), Linkeys Intérim (ATS-integrated solution for staffing agencies), and MyLinkeys (white-label program turning employees into brand ambassadors). Individual coopteurs use the platform free of charge to share job offers and earn referral bonuses of 50 to 2,000 EUR when their recommended candidates are hired.

Product overview

LINKEYS is a cooptation (employee referral) recruitment platform founded in 2016 in Switzerland. The platform operates three distinct products: Linkeys Community provides access to an external network of 40,000+ coopteurs (members who recommend candidates) for sourcing talent; Linkeys Intérim is tailored for temporary staffing agencies with ATS connectivity and automated bonus features; and My Linkeys is a white-label solution allowing companies to launch their own cooptation programs using their internal employee networks. The platform connects job seekers referred by the community with employers, offering referral bonuses ranging from 50 to 2,000 euros when recommended candidates are hired.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Linkeys Community: External referral solution providing access to a community of 40,000 members with free and unlimited job posting.
• Linkeys Intérim
• My Linkeys

Products and services

• Linkeys Community External cooptation solution that gives companies free and unlimited job posting and access to a community of 40,000+ active coopteurs (referrers) who share job offers within their networks. Provides a dedicated application-tracking space and is sold to companies as a subscription with success fees.
• Linkeys Intérim Cooptation solution tailored for temporary staffing agencies. Offers direct referral (parrainage) capability, full ATS/ERP connectivity, and automatic triggering of referral bonuses when candidates are placed. Sold as an annual subscription to staffing and interim firms.
• MyLinkeys White-label cooptation platform that allows companies to create separate branded entities, leverage communication templates, and connect to their own ATS. Enables employers to transform internal employees into brand ambassadors and run their own referral programs. Sold as an annual subscription.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cooptation-based recruitment costs approximately 35% less than traditional recruitment methods
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mare Nostrum GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinkeys is part of the Mare Nostrum Group, a specialist in HR engineering for SMEs and mid-market companies (ETI) with more than 278 employees. This parent company provides strategic backing, credibility, and distribution reach across the French-speaking HR market.
• ChallengesminorOthersChallenges, a major French economic and business magazine, published a feature article titled 'Linkeys: le spécialiste du recrutement par cooptation', profiling the company and its cooptation model.
• AGEFIminorOthersAGEFI, a Swiss-French financial and business media outlet, published coverage titled 'Linkeys, l'Uber du recrutement', comparing Linkeys' disruptive model to the Uber platform.
• RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse)minorOthersRTS (Swiss French public broadcaster) covered Linkeys in its 19:30 news program and 'On en parle' radio show, discussing how employees are rewarded for recommending people from their network for jobs.
• 20 MinutesminorOthers20 Minutes, a major French-speaking free newspaper, published coverage on job referral programs featuring Linkeys.
• PME MagazineminorOthersPME Magazine published an article titled 'Qu'est-ce qu'un spécialiste du recrutement par cooptation?', profiling Linkeys and its cooptation specialization.
• La LibertéminorOthersLa Liberté, a Swiss regional newspaper, published an article titled 'Une application pour chasser les têtes' about Linkeys.
• Socialize MagazineminorOthersSocialize Magazine featured Linkeys as 'application of the month', highlighting the platform for recruitment in their lifestyle publication.
• Gérine EnergieminorOthersGérine Energie provides electricity from renewable sources to Linkeys' office in Switzerland, supporting the company's environmental commitments.
• SococominorOthersSococo is used by Linkeys for video conferencing to replace business travel, aligning with the company's environmental charter commitment to reduce professional travel.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Workable: Mid-market ATS with built-in referral functionality; competes with Linkeys Community by offering referral tools as part of a broader hiring suite, especially attractive to SMEs/ETIs.
• Greenhouse: Enterprise ATS with a structured referral product offering; competes with Linkeys MyLinkeys for large employers wanting integrated referral workflows.
• Boomerang (by iCIMS): iCIMS' employee referral module embedded in a broader enterprise ATS/talent acquisition suite; overlaps with Linkeys MyLinkeys and Community for enterprise HR buyers seeking consolidated vendors.
• LinkedIn Talent Solutions: LinkedIn's broad recruiting platform includes employee referral features and a professional network that doubles as a passive-candidate sourcing channel; an indirect but unavoidable competitive reference point.

Direct peers

• BountyJobs: Agency-focused platform for managing external recruiter referrals and payouts, closely analogous to Linkeys Intérim's staffing-agency positioning.
• Vervent: European recruitment platform focused on cooptation and referral-based hiring; closest direct competitor to Linkeys in the French-speaking European market.
• RolePoint: Employee referral platform focused on internal and external referral programs with social sharing, tracking, and bonus management — directly comparable to Linkeys Community and MyLinkeys in product scope and buyer.
• EmployeeReferrals.com: Standalone referral recruiting software that automates employee referral programs with bonus payouts and analytics; competes for the same Linkeys Intérim and MyLinkeys buyer.

Regional players

• JobTeaser: European recruitment and employer-branding platform active in France, Switzerland, and broader EU markets; comparable on regional footprint and SME/ETI buyer focus.

Emerging players

• Comeet: Collaborative ATS with social referral and sharing features targeting SMEs — overlaps with Linkeys Community on the SME buyer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 LINKEYS