Building the Future of Work, One Community at a Time
Since 2018, Jobful has been on a mission to transform how organizations connect with talent and how professionals navigate their careers. We're not just building software—we're empowering millions of people to find meaningful work and helping organizations build engaged, sustainable talent communities.
From a bold idea in Bucharest to platforms serving 10,000+ refugees, people with disabilities, and professionals across continents—this is our story.
Our Story
The Journey from Vision to Impact
The Beginning: A Paradigm Shift in Recruitment
The Problem We Saw: In 2018, recruitment was broken. Not because companies couldn't find candidates—but because they were treating people like transactions. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) were designed for process efficiency, not human connection. Candidates felt like numbers in a database.
The Insight: People don't want to be "tracked" through systems. They want to belong to communities. They want ongoing relationships with organizations, not transactional interactions.
The Founding Vision: Mihai Cepoi (CEO) and the founding team asked: "What if we could help companies build talent communities that people actually want to join?"
2018 Milestones:
- ✓Spherik by KPMG Acceleration Program - validated business model
- ✓3rd Place & Popularity Prize at Startarium
- ✓First 5 customers onboarded
Going Global: SAP.io Berlin
Selected for SAP.io's prestigious Berlin program, gaining access to enterprise software expertise, European market expansion strategies, and partnerships with major corporations.
This was transformational. SAP.io validated that our vision wasn't just for startups—enterprise organizations were hungry for better ways to engage talent.
Product Evolution:
- →Employer-branded talent communities (white-label platforms)
- →Engagement modules (courses, challenges, events, gamification)
- →Analytics and insights (community health metrics)
- →20 customers, €150K ARR achieved
The Pandemic Changes Everything
NUMA New York Acceleration: Pre-pandemic, we were accepted into NUMA's program for US market expansion. Then COVID-19 hit.
The Pivot: The pandemic accelerated remote work and digital transformation. Companies could no longer rely on in-person networking or office culture.
"The pandemic showed us that the future of work isn't just remote or hybrid—it's community-based. Organizations that thrive will be those who build genuine, engaged communities of talent."
— Mihai Cepoi, CEO
We pivoted hard: Rather than serving just parts of the recruitment process, we rebuilt Jobful to address the entire talent lifecycle.
2020 Results:
- ✓Product completely rebuilt for full talent lifecycle
- ✓First major enterprise customers signed
- ✓Remote-first company culture established
- ✓35 customers, €300K ARR
InnovX Scale-Up Program
As we gained traction with larger organizations, we joined InnovX to focus on scaling operations, international expansion, and building world-class product and engineering capabilities.
Key Product Innovations 2021:
- →Modular architecture: Organizations pick features they need
- →Multi-tenant infrastructure serving hundreds of organizations
- →Advanced analytics: Prove ROI, measure community health
- →White-label capabilities: Fully branded experiences
- →75 customers, €750K ARR, 20-person team
Social Impact Mission Crystallizes
EBRD Star Venture Program: Joining the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development program validated that Jobful's technology could serve not just commercial organizations, but also NGOs, governments, and social impact programs.
March 2022: Russia invades Ukraine.
Massive displacement crisis. Ukrainian refugees flooding into Romania, desperate for employment.
We had a choice: Stay focused on commercial customers only, or use our technology to help in the crisis. We chose impact.
Jobs4ukr.com: 30-Day Emergency Deployment
In partnership with UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) and EBRD, we launched Jobs4ukr.com in just 30 days:
Timeline:
- • Feb 24, 2022: War begins
- • Early March: Decision to build platform
- • March 31, 2022: Platform live
Results (18 months):
- • 10,000+ refugees registered
- • 40% employment rate
- • 45 days avg time-to-employment
- • 85% retention at 6 months
- • 350+ employers engaged
Ukrainian refugee testimonial:
"After 20 years working in banking, I always had a dream of becoming a chef. When I moved to Bucharest, I wasn't sure how to start over—but with the help of an amazing team, I updated my resume and soon found a job at Uncle John. In 2025, I signed a contract with Marriott, and now I cook for guests myself—my dream has truly come true!"
This changed Jobful forever.
We realized our platform could serve refugees, people with disabilities, long-term unemployed, youth NEETs—any vulnerable population facing employment barriers.
Jobs4all.ro: Employment for People with Disabilities
September 2025: In partnership with BCR, Dacia Foundation, ERSTE Foundation, and NESsT, we launched Jobs4all.ro.
The Challenge: Young people with disabilities in Romania have a 7% employment rate—one of the lowest in Europe.
Results (First 12 Months):
- ✓2,500+ people with disabilities registered
- ✓180+ placements (vs. 40-50 traditional)
- ✓120+ inclusive employers engaged
- ✓1,200+ skills courses completed
- ✓68% active community engagement
- ✓Employment rate: 7% → 15%+
The Dual Mission Today:
Commercial Track
- • Enterprise talent communities
- • Scale-up recruitment solutions
- • Contingent workforce platforms
- • University career platforms
Social Impact Track
- • Refugee employment (Jobs4ukr.com)
- • Disability employment (Jobs4all.ro)
- • NGO and government agencies
- • Vulnerable population support
Mission, Vision & Values
Our Mission
Developing technology that supports any individual in their professional journey.
"Any individual" means the software engineer at a Fortune 500 company, the Ukrainian refugee starting over, the person with a disability facing prejudice, the recent graduate, the long-term unemployed.
"Professional journey" means not just finding a job, but building skills, connecting with opportunities, accessing support, and achieving economic dignity through work.
Our Vision
Empowering professionals.
Power comes from:
- •Information: Knowing what opportunities exist
- •Connection: Access to communities and mentors
- •Development: Tools to build skills
- •Agency: Control over your career narrative
- •Dignity: Being treated as a whole person
Our Values
1. Boldness (Îndrăzneală)
Taking risks others won't. Challenging the status quo. Shipping imperfect products and learning fast.
2. Adaptability
Embracing change as constant. Learning from failures. Pivoting when evidence says we should.
3. Teamwork (Mușchetăreală)
"All for one, one for all" mentality. No silos. Collaborative problem-solving. Celebrating team wins.
Social Impact is Core to Our Success
At Jobful, addressing social injustice and challenges is part of our definition of success. Most companies add social impact as an afterthought. For us, social impact is core product.
Our Commitment:
- ✓10%+ of platform capacity for social impact
- ✓Mission-aligned pricing (€600-€1,200/month for NGOs)
- ✓Pro bono support for humanitarian crises
- ✓Partnerships with UNHCR, EBRD, ERSTE, NESsT
Impact to Date:
- →10,000+ refugees supported
- →2,500+ people with disabilities served
- →40%+ employment rates (vs. 12-15% traditional)
- →Systemic change in Romania's inclusive employment
Meet the Team
The People Powering Jobful
Leadership Team
Mihai Cepoi
Co-Founder & CEO
"I believe work should empower people, not just employ them. Our platform exists to give professionals agency in their careers and help organizations build genuine relationships with talent."
Mihai co-founded Jobful in 2018 with a bold vision: transform recruitment from transactional process to community-building. Prior to Jobful, Mihai worked in tech startups and saw firsthand how broken traditional recruiting was.
Leadership philosophy: Boldness + empathy. Push the team to take risks and innovate, while ensuring everyone feels supported and valued.
Ioana Cepoi
Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer
"Too many HR platforms prioritize the employer experience and treat candidates like data points. We flip that. Every feature starts with: 'How does this help the person on the other side?'"
Ioana ensures Jobful remains obsessively focused on the end user experience—whether that's a recruiter or a refugee searching for their first job.
Leadership philosophy: Human-centered design isn't a buzzword—it's the difference between technology that empowers and technology that oppresses.
Alex Popa
Chief Technology Officer
"Engineering isn't just about writing code—it's about solving real problems for real people. When we can deploy a platform in 30 days to serve refugees in crisis, that's engineering at its best."
Alex brings deep technical expertise in building scalable, secure, multi-tenant SaaS platforms. Prior to Jobful, Alex led engineering at enterprise SaaS companies.
Leadership philosophy: Chess grandmaster (rated 2400+ ELO) who applies chess strategy to technical architecture: think 10 moves ahead, anticipate user needs, always have a backup plan.
Join Our Team
We're building the future of work.
Competitive salary, equity, remote-first culture, €1,500/year professional development budget, and meaningful impact. Work on commercial products AND social impact programs.
Ready to Build Your Talent Community?
Join 500+ organizations using Jobful to engage professionals, reduce costs by 35%, and build sustainable talent communities.
By combining relevant recruitment features, people-centric candidate experiences, and engaging community modules, organizations improve talent quality and retention.