Cruit Secures Investment from Arches Capital to Accelerate Growth of Employee Referral Platform

Amsterdam, 15 April 2025 – Cruit, the employee referral platform that helps companies turn their workforce into a recruitment engine, today announced a new investment round led by Arches Capital, the Amsterdam-based venture capital firm behind companies like TheyDo, Eco-Movement, and The Selection Lab. Existing investor Slingshot Ventures also participated in the round, alongside Michiel Roodenburg, Co-founder of Crisp, who joins as an angel investor. Notably, Crisp was Cruit's very first customer — now backing the company as an investor, marking a powerful validation of the platform’s long-term value.

Cruit transforms recruitment by activating the networks of employees to source high-quality candidates, significantly improving time-to-hire and reducing dependence on external recruiters. The platform eliminates administrative friction and can be implemented in under a day.

“We're thrilled to have Arches Capital on board,” said Steye Kaersenhout, Co-founder and CEO of Cruit. “Their team and network of ‘Archangels’ bring not only capital but also hands-on operational expertise. This partnership will help us accelerate our commercial growth and continue building the most effective referral software on the market. Having our very first customer now join us as an investor makes me incredibly proud it’s the ultimate vote of confidence.”

“At Arches, we invest in founders who are solving real problems in a scalable way. Cruit taps into one of the most underutilized assets in recruitment: your own team’s network. The product is simple, smart, and sticky and their customers genuinely love it. We’re excited to help scale Cruit to even greater heights,” said Lotte Smit van Ditshuizen, Partner at Arches Capital.

Cruit is used by companies such as Van Lanschot Kempen, Vandebron, and Octopus Electric Vehicles, and is already active in over 30 countries. By enabling referrals to become the primary source of hires — often accounting for 30% or more — Cruit is redefining how modern teams grow.

About Arches Capital

Arches Capital bridges the gap between angel investing and venture capital. With over 100 active angel investors, Arches combines the engagement ofseasoned entrepreneurs with the structure of a venture capital fund. The firm focuses on generation-proof B2B software companies and currently supports 23 startups.

About Cruit

Cruit is an employee referral platform that helps companies unlock the hiring power of their teams. By streamlining the referral process and eliminating operational overhead, Cruit enables companies to make better hires faster — while boosting employee engagement and retention.