• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision

2

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

3

The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'

1

Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision

2

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

3

The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
Tech

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Others Just Put Millions Into Student Recruitment Startup Handshake

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 31, 2018, 6:00 AM ET
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and others just put millions into college recruitment startup Handshake.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and others just put millions into college recruitment startup Handshake.Hindustan Times via Getty Images

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropic arm of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, has invested in Handshake, a fast-growing startup focused on job recruitment for college students.

The organization joined the Omidyar Network, Reach Capital, and previous investors in the $40 million funding. EQT Ventures led the round and EQT partner Alastair Mitchell joined the startup’s board of directors.

Although The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative may be known for philanthropic efforts that focus on healthcare and other sectors, it also invests in startups. Vivian Wu, the organization’s managing partner for venture investments, said it looks to invest in companies with sustainable business plans that are “driving social change.”

In Handshake’s case, the startup sells software to universities that lets them more efficiently manage student career services and job placement. Students can create LinkedIn-like profiles that they can fill with relevant coursework or extra-curricular activities to make them more attractive work candidates for businesses.

The startup also sells software to companies for searching for prospective candidates.

Tim Streeter, the global head of recruitment for home appliance giant Whirlpool, is testing Handshake’s service. It can be difficult to find students outside of Midwest universities who are willing to move to the company’s headquarters in southwest Michigan, he said.

With Handshake, Streeter said that Whirlpool can more easily scout students nationwide without having to attend school “career days,” where they may end up courting students who have no intention of ever moving.

“If there are people on the East and West Coast that want to relocate, we can find them,” Streeter said about using Handshake’s software.

Lord hopes that the software will lead to students from outside the most prestigious universities having a better chance of getting jobs at top companies.

Handshake is not profitable and it currently gets most of its sales from universities, Handshake CEO Garrett Lord said. The plan is to significantly grow its corporate sales business in 2019 so that it eventually accounts for more revenue than universities.

Over 700 universities and 300,000 companies use Handshake’s software. Wu said that she’s working with Lord to create programs to help companies recruit more diverse candidates, but declined to elaborate. A Chan Zuckerberg Initiative spokesperson added that details are still to be defined.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

As for the employee-centered websites like LinkedIn or Indeed, Streeter said that he’s found those services lacking when it comes to college students and university career services.

“They haven’t cracked the nut yet,” he said.

But, that doesn’t mean that those job websites are ignoring Handshake.

“Maybe LinkedIn and Indeed are sitting back and hoping for an acquisition opportunity in the future,” Streeter said, explaining why they haven’t concentrated on students.

With its latest funding, which closed in mid-October, Handshake has raised a total of $74 million. Lord declined to disclose the company’s valuation.

Update Oct. 31 at 2:30 PM PT with additional comments from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative spokesperson.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Pastel colored sky casting shadows over the colorful houses and behind Sutro Tower.
Real EstateHousing
This realtor is betting big on the AI IPO boom, but buying a house with stock will have to go through the OpenAI’s and Anthropic’s boards first
By Jacqueline MunisJune 7, 2026
6 hours ago
da
CommentaryIPOs
The short seller’s argument nobody on the coming mega IPO roadshow wants you to make
By Bhaskar ChakravortiJune 7, 2026
6 hours ago
SpaceX and other mega IPOs may wait years to join the S&P 500
InvestingS&P 500
SpaceX and other mega IPOs may wait years to join the S&P 500
By Bailey Lipschultz, Vildana Hajric and BloombergJune 6, 2026
18 hours ago
Former AI czar calls Sanders’ proposal for government equity a ‘stupidity tax’ and warns against nationalization as Trump mulls public stakes
AIregulation
Former AI czar calls Sanders’ proposal for government equity a ‘stupidity tax’ and warns against nationalization as Trump mulls public stakes
By Jason MaJune 6, 2026
19 hours ago
Marvell Technology, Flex to join S&P 500 later this month
InvestingS&P 500
Marvell Technology, Flex to join S&P 500 later this month
By Isabelle Lee and BloombergJune 6, 2026
23 hours ago
bernie
AIWhite House
Bernie Sanders and Sam Altman’s private one-hour meeting about the public ownership of AI
By Joey Cappelletti, Seung Min Kim and The Associated PressJune 6, 2026
24 hours ago

Most Popular

Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision
Real Estate
Billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg used mortgages to buy multimillion-dollar mansions. Here’s why that’s a savvy financial decision
By Sydney LakeJune 6, 2026
1 day ago
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
AI
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 5, 2026
2 days ago
The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
Energy
The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously thought as the U.S. shoots down Iranian drones threatening ships and provides 'naval overwatch'
By Jason MaJune 6, 2026
12 hours ago
I've sold property on California's Central Coast for decades. The buyers chasing ranch and winery estates are after more than a lifestyle
Commentary
I've sold property on California's Central Coast for decades. The buyers chasing ranch and winery estates are after more than a lifestyle
By Lindsey HarnJune 6, 2026
1 day ago
Here's where U.S. debt may become unsustainable with interest payments triggering a default crisis that even steep tax hikes can't fix
Economy
Here's where U.S. debt may become unsustainable with interest payments triggering a default crisis that even steep tax hikes can't fix
By Jason MaJune 6, 2026
16 hours ago
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
Economy
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
By Nick LichtenbergJune 5, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.