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Nestor

YC S18

San Francisco, US · Founded 2018 · 20 employees · Hiring · 3 known investors

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Nestor provides HR teams and managers with software to catalog, evaluate, and assign employees based on their skills, using AI to match workers to internal roles, projects, and upskilling opportunities aligned with business needs.

Also known as Marionette Studio, Inc. · Emojer · Emojer (was Marionette Studio) · Marionette Studio · Marionette Studio, Emojer (was Marionette Studio), Emojer

Enterprise SoftwareHR TechSaaSUnited States of AmericaAmerica / CanadaFully Remote

Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (S18)

Nestor was founded in 2018 by Bogdan Apostol and Raluca Apostol.

BABogdan Apostol
Bogdan ApostolCo-founder · CEOHe previously co-founded Marionette Studio and holds a Ph.D. in computer science with research cited by Intel and LG.
RARaluca Apostol
Raluca ApostolCo-Founder & Chief Product OfficerRaluca Apostol holds a Ph.D. in machine learning and serves as co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Nestor, where she oversees research and product development. She has over eight years of experience in team management and people development.
AP
Adrian PironescuCTOformer

Investors · 3

Underline Ventureslisted by Underline VenturesBucharest · $500K

How we know: a partner's Signal profile · the VCSheet dataset · Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Y Combinatorlisted by Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K

How we know: the Y Combinator directory · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us

Funding

SEC filings, press & company announcements

$2M disclosed across 1 of 2 rounds · 2022

Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.

Related companies · 10

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Peoplebox.aiPeoplebox is an OKR, talent management, and people analytics platform that uses generative AI to help companies align strategy and retain employees. It integrates with work tools and provides strategy execution and people operations capabilities.
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DrivingforceDrivingforce provides a unified workforce management platform for trucking fleets, handling compliance, payroll, and recruiting functions through a single interface.
PerformyardPerformYard is a performance management platform that combines performance reviews, goal tracking, continuous feedback, engagement surveys, and 1:1 meetings in one AI-assisted system. It is aimed at HR teams and organizations of varying sizes seeking to configure and run their performance review and employee development processes.
FondFond was an employee rewards and recognition platform (originally launched as AnyPerk) that offered perks, discounts, and peer recognition tools for companies. Acquired by Reward Gateway in 2023.
LeapsomeLeapsome offers HR software that centralizes employee records — personal details, role history, compensation, documents, and job changes — into a single system for HR teams, replacing spreadsheets and paper files. Its platform connects HRIS and talent management with performance reviews, learning paths, and AI-driven analytics, including team-level "Resilience Signals" insights.
SuperunitSuperunit provides AI agents that autonomously contact HR departments, payroll systems, and managers via phone, email, and fax to verify employment, income, educational credentials, and other background check information. The platform serves hiring, lending, and leasing companies needing FCRA-compliant employment verification at scale.
BetterUpBetterUp provides an AI-powered coaching and professional development platform that helps organizations support employee growth and wellbeing. The platform serves enterprises and their employees through behavioral science-backed coaching and talent management tools.

Companies working in the same space as Nestor.

Legal entities · 1

corporate structure
Marionette Studio, Inc.

In the news

Nestor raises $2M in seed to help organizations forge new ways to develop and retain talent - Nestornestorup.com · Dec 2022

Frequently asked questions

What does Nestor do?
Nestor provides HR teams and managers with software to catalog, evaluate, and assign employees based on their skills, using AI to match workers to internal roles, projects, and upskilling opportunities aligned with business needs.
Who founded Nestor?
Nestor was founded by Bogdan Apostol, Raluca Apostol in 2018.
Who are Nestor's investors?
Nestor's investors include Eleven Ventures, Underline Ventures, Y Combinator.
How much funding has Nestor raised?
Nestor has disclosed $2M raised across 1 of its 2 known rounds.
Where is Nestor headquartered?
Nestor is headquartered in San Francisco, US.