Subul secures €200,000 to transform tech recruitment for refugees
Subul, a social enterprise in The Hague and dedicated to bridging the gap between global tech businesses and skilled talents from refugee and disadvantaged communities, has secured a €200,000 investment from Start Foundation. This investment will accelerate Subul’s mission to provide dignified employment opportunities for refugees and disadvantaged individuals in the Middle East and Europe.
Connecting refugee tech talent to European markets
Subul was founded by Syrian refugees Khaled Shaaban and Ousama Sulaiman. Through their own experiences, they recognised that many highly talented individuals in refugee camps were being underestimated. Since its establishment at The Hague Humanity Hub, Subul has successfully recruited over 600 tech professionals from refugee communities into the European job market.
Tech jobs for refugees and disadvantaged communities
Due to the investment of Start Foundation, Subul is launching an AI-powered recruitment platform, creating a one-day hiring solution that will streamline tech recruitment for businesses worldwide. The purpose of this innovation is to make recruitment more efficient and inclusive by connecting skilled refugee tech talent to the global tech market demand. They ensure that refugee and disadvantaged tech professionals have access to meaningful employment worldwide.
“This partnership reflects two things that deeply moved me. First, the openness and inclusivity of the Dutch ecosystem—where an organisation like Start Foundation doesn’t hesitate to support someone unknown, arriving from overseas, simply because they believe in the mission. Second, it is a testament to what I call ‘smart impact investing.’ Instead of imposing rigid expectations, Start Foundation stood by us unconditionally, providing the trust and resources we needed to reach this stage.”
Khaled Shaaban, Subul’s Founder.
About Start Foundation
Start Foundation is a Netherlands-based nonprofit dedicated to developing and accelerating initiatives that remove barriers to employment. With over 25 years of experience, the foundation focuses on solutions that create sustainable work opportunities for individuals who struggle to access the labour market. Recognising Subul’s potential to revolutionise impact hiring and global recruitment, Start Foundation has provided ongoing strategic support to refine and scale Subul’s operations.
"This is exactly the kind of accelerator that we love at Start Foundation. Entrepreneurs who, driven by personal experience and armed with guts and solid entrepreneurship, help create job opportunities for people in the most impossible situations."
Joske Paumen, director of Start Foundation.
