BrightHire is an interview intelligence platform that records, transcribes, and analyses job interviews to help recruiters and hiring managers make better, more consistent hiring decisions. The product builds on top of Zoom and other video providers, with deep integrations into applicant tracking systems so insights flow into recruiters' existing workflows.
The company was founded in 2019 by Theodore Chestnut and Benjamin Sesser, both of whom previously worked on talent and HR products at companies including Khan Academy. BrightHire's thesis was that interviews are the most expensive, least examined part of hiring, and that capturing them as structured data unlocks better calibration, reduced bias, and faster, evidence-based hiring decisions.
BrightHire raised approximately US$36 million in total funding across multiple rounds, including a US$12.5 million Series A led by Index Ventures in May 2021 and a US$20.5 million Series B in October 2021 led by 01A with participation from Index Ventures and the Zoom Apps Fund. The Series B financing reinforced the company's tight relationship with Zoom, on which much of BrightHire's interview capture experience was built.
The product captures interviews in real time, generates AI-driven highlights, surfaces structured competencies, and creates shareable interview moments that hiring teams can review together. Recent product investments included AI copilots and agents for sourcing, interview prep, and post-interview decision support, extending the platform beyond pure recording into broader hiring intelligence.
In November 2025, Zoom announced the acquisition of BrightHire, integrating the platform into its broader talent and AI portfolio. The deal aligned BrightHire's interview intelligence with Zoom's installed base of enterprise video meetings, and positioned the combined offering as a strategic answer to the wave of AI-native hiring platforms emerging across the talent acquisition market.