Daniel Yanisse

Daniel Yanisse

Co-Founder and CEO

Checkr

At Checkr we believe in the power of work. We are committed to our mission of building a fairer future by designing technology to create opportunities for all.

Checkr powers people infrastructure for the future of work. With artificial intelligence and machine learning, our platform and solutions make background checks faster, easier, and more compliant. Using Checkr’s advanced screening technology, companies can better understand the dynamics of the changing workforce, bring transparency and fairness to their hiring, and ultimately build a better future for workers. For more information, visit http://www.checkr.com

The Origin Story of Checkr

In 2013, Daniel Yanisse and co-founder Jonathan Perichon recognized a major hurdle in the emerging on-demand economy: slow, manual background checks. Drawing on his engineering background and experience at NASA, Yanisse envisioned a faster, more efficient solution. This vision led to the creation of Checkr in 2014, an API for background checks.

After Y Combinator, Checkr quickly gained traction, with early adopters like Uber, DoorDash and Instacart embracing the platform. As CEO, Yanisse guided Checkr's rapid growth, utilizing AI and automation to streamline processes. His commitment to fairness and efficiency has made Checkr the leader in background check, processing over 30 million checks annually for over 100,000 paying customers.

“The process of background checks used to be very slow, and manual, taking weeks to happen. So, we applied software automation and AI to speed up that process so it can happen in an hour or two, allowing companies to hire workers the same day.”

Co-founder and CEO, Daniel Yanisse, Checkr

‍Source - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKYvGKFpY1k

Checkr Transforms background checks for the gig economy

Checkr rapidly scaled its background check services by partnering with early adopters in the gig economy, notably Uber, DoorDash, and Instacart. The company's innovative API-based approach to employee background screening quickly gained traction among tech companies, processing 300,000 monthly checks for around 3,000 clients by 2016.

Several factors drove Checkr's success with these early adopters:

Speed and efficiency: Checkr's API-driven platform automated and streamlined the background check process, enabling rapid onboarding for gig economy companies.
Scalability: As companies like Uber and Instacart experienced explosive growth, Checkr's system could handle increasing volumes of background checks.
Tailored solutions: Checkr developed specific solutions for gig economy needs, such as continuous background checks for DoorDash drivers.
AI integration: The company leveraged artificial intelligence to improve accuracy and reduce processing times.

Checkr Expands to New Verticals and Enterprise Customers

Checkr, initially focused on serving gig economy companies like Uber, DoorDash, and Instacart, has successfully expanded its reach to new verticals and enterprise clients. The company's growth strategy involved leveraging its innovative background check technology to address the needs of larger, more traditional businesses.

As Checkr broadened its focus, it attracted enterprise clients like OpenAI, seeking to ensure trust and safety in cutting-edge AI development; Birkenstock, valuing a streamlined and compliant hiring process for its retail expansion; and Kia, prioritizing driver safety and background checks in its automotive services.

By 2023, Checkr's revenue exceeded $700 million, nearly doubling its 2021 figures, with major enterprise clients, including OpenAI, Kia Corp., Birkenstock Holding and Subway. Checkr has also expanded into non-tech industries such as retail, manufacturing, and hospitality, further diversifying its customer base.

“We are seeing an explosion of job and work marketplaces for health care, for accountants, for any professional job that you can think of.”
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Daniel Yanisse, Co-founder and CEO, Checkr ‍

Source - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-27/checkr-boosts-sales-with-new-large-enterprise-clients?embedded-checkout=true

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Revolutionizing background checks with AI

Daniel Yanisse envisions AI as a crucial tool for revolutionizing background checks, making them faster, more accurate, and less biased. His vision for Checkr leverages AI to transform the traditionally slow and manual process across all industries. Key aspects of AI's role in Yanisse's vision include:

Data classification: AI organizes and categorizes complex, unstructured data from various sources, making background check information more readable and actionable.
Improved accuracy: AI enhances name matching and record association, significantly increasing the accuracy of background checks.
Bias reduction: By automating data classification for fact-based categories, AI helps remove human bias from the hiring process.
Efficiency: AI streamlines the background check process, enabling faster turnaround times and scalability.

Yanisse emphasizes the importance of responsible AI use: "We've been using AI since 2018... It's a great technology to process data to ensure accuracy. It's much faster and much more accurate than humans. You can really limit errors and improve accuracy”. ‍

Source - https://www.hbs.edu/managing-the-future-of-work/podcast/Pages/podcast-details.aspx?episode=8997362060

More About Checkr

Checkr Boosts Revenue as Background-Check Firm Courts Large Enterprise Clients

Checkr Group Inc., the background-check vendor that got its start screening couriers and rideshare drivers, has boosted revenue by increasing its customer base to include more large enterprises.

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How Four Alumni Of The Next Billion-Dollar Startups List Soared Past The $1 Billion Mark

In a challenging year for startups, the best companies will thrive. More than 100 alumni of the Next Billion-Dollar Startups list have passed the $1 billion mark. Among the standouts: Figma, Anduril, Coalition and Checkr.

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Checkr's Growth Continues With Over 100,000 Paying Customers

Through the trust and partnership of our valued customers, we continuously innovate to deliver products that meet modern hiring needs.

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Assessing AI-boosted background checks; fair-chance hiring

Background checks are getting easier and faster to carry out, even as a continuous process. Is that a good thing? Checkr CEO & co-founder Daniel Yanisse on constructive, responsible screening and the case for second-chance employment.

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