Where Innovation Gets Funded: Investor Experience and Pitchfest Return to HR Tech 2025

Investors, Buyers and Founders Unite for Three Days of Bold Ideas, Sharp Insights and Startup Showdowns

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dedicated to delivering actionable, memorable opportunities to its community, HR Tech today shared details of this year’s Investor Experience and Pitchfest competition, which will take place throughout the event this September 16 – 18 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Advised by leading industry analyst George LaRocque of WorkTech, both the Investor Experience and Pitchfest shine a spotlight on the next generation of HR technologies, helping founders build the right connections within the market. This year’s agenda features several elements relevant to investors and attendees, including the following sessions:

HR Tech in Motion: Global Trends, Capital Flows, and Market Moves – LaRocque will explore the global forces shaping HR technology innovation and adoption, from macroeconomic trends to shifting buyer behaviors. LaRocque will consider venture capital activity, emerging tech trends and the evolving priorities of HR leaders worldwide.
First In: Early-Stage Insights on HR Tech's Next Wave – In a candid discussion, Donald Knight, Venture Partner at Valor Ventures, and Jason Corsello, founder and General Partner of Acadian Ventures, share where they are placing their bets this year, which trends they are tracking and how they evaluate founders and innovations in a rapidly evolving market, offering a front-row seat to the future of HR tech – from those helping shape it early.
Winning the Pitch, Beating the Market: HireBrain’s Breakout Year – What does it take to turn a Pitchfest win into real-world traction? David Nason, founder and CEO of HireBrain, will share the company’s journey since winning HR Tech’s Pitchfest in 2024, including how it has navigated the challenges of fundraising, scaling and delivering customer results. Hear what it takes to win in today’s HR tech market – on stage and in the field.
Smart Month, Sharp Moves: PE and M&A Trends in HR Tech – This panel, featuring Ron Cano, Managing Partner at K1, and William Filip, founder and Managing Director of Delancey Street Partners, will explore how strategic capital is being deployed, what deal activity signals about market direction and how firms are navigating growth, consolidation and exit strategies in a dynamic environment.
Buying the Future: How Top HR Tech Platforms Drive Growth through M&A – Hear from companies including Paychex and Cornerstone for an insider’s look at how leading HR tech vendors use acquisitions to accelerate growth and shape the market. This session will consider the strategic rationale behind recent deals, how platforms identify and integrate targets and what these moves mean for innovation and competition in the industry.

Previous attendee Bill Mastin, co-founder of Learnie, shared, “HR Tech was instrumental in helping me during my tenure as CEO of Topia connect with a highly targeted group of prospective buyers. The event created the right environment for conversations, which ultimately led to a successful transaction in early 2025. It played a key role in our journey, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity the event provided.”

The Pitchfest competition returns this year, with HR tech startup founders pitching their solutions for up to $30,000 in cash prizes, sponsored by CoAdvantage/PrimePay. Across three preliminary rounds, 30 companies—ten in each round—will each have three minutes to pitch, followed by two minutes to answer questions from the judges. Each round will also include audience voting. Six companies will then advance to the finals, where one will take home the grand prize, which also includes bragging rights and booth space at next year’s conference.

George LaRocque commented, “Each year, HR Tech is the launch pad for countless companies, and for good reason, as hundreds of top-tier investors join us to discover the next wave of innovation redefining how work gets done.”

He continued, “Since its inception, Pitchfest has grown into the world’s most influential startup competition, with HR Tech creating space for even the earliest stage companies to connect with buyers, like-minded founders, leading investors, venture capitalists and the industry’s top influencers. The HR Tech Investor Experience and Pitchfest are where vision meets opportunity – and where the future of HR technology takes shape.”

HR Tech 2025 is scheduled for September 16 – 18 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Register now to help shape the future of HR technology: https://www.hrtechnologyconference.com/register.

About HR Tech

HR Tech is the industry's premier event series showcasing breakthrough HR technologies, with its flagship U.S. conference serving as its cornerstone since 1997. HR Tech in the U.S. features the world's largest expo of innovative HR solutions, live product demonstrations and the industry’s preeminent startup competition. The HR Tech portfolio has expanded globally with additional annual events in Europe and Asia, creating a worldwide network of innovation hubs that shape the future of work.

HR Tech is part of the event arm of HR Executive, a prestigious global media company established in 1987 that delivers news, content and analysis of strategic HR trends to more than 220,000 subscribers worldwide. The synergy between the events and media channels enables the brands to create a comprehensive knowledge ecosystem that addresses all aspects of human resource management, establishing the organization as the definitive authority for visionary HR leaders. Visit www.HRTechConference.com to learn more.

Note to editors: Trademarks and registered trademarks referenced herein remain the property of their respective owners. A limited number of media and industry analyst passes are available for this event. To apply, please visit https://www.hrtechnologyconference.com/media.

Media Contact:

Kate Achille
The Devon Group
kate@devonpr.com

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