Holly, a NYC-based provider of an AI-powered platform modernizing government hiring, raised $2.2M in Pre-Seed funding.
The round was led by J2 Ventures with participation from Roble Ventures, Gaingels, and angel investors.
The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and development efforts.
Founded in 2023 by Brendan Hellweg and Cherie Chung, Holly accelerates and modernizes government hiring through its AI-powered platform, transforming outdated systems to enable recruitment for millions of public sector roles.
Government hiring currently takes 135 days on average, nearly five times longer than the private sector, and costs taxpayers $86 Billion annually in overtime. Through artificial intelligence and intergovernmental data collaboration, Holly modernizes job classifications, streamlines agency workflows, and embeds equity throughout the hiring process.
FinSMEs
10/01/2025