Backed by Y Combinator
Stardex is the AI-native ATS and CRM that helps search firms find, engage, and
place great candidates in their network.
100+ modern search firms build on Stardex
The Shift
Features
Start at the shortlist, not at zero. The moment a mandate opens, agents rank the candidates in your database against the spec and tell you why each one made the cut.
Stardex can refresh your database work experience so you don't have stale candidate data
People search
2,487 records
VPs of Eng we interviewed last year, Series B experience, great client feedback
Semantic
Name
✦
AI Criteria
Jason Murray
VP Eng · Ramp
✓
✓
✓
Interviewed Aug ’25, strong client debrief
94
Samir Parikh
VP Eng · Clay
✓
✓
✓
Scaled Clay 8→60 eng, YC S21
92
Alexa Matthews
Head of Eng · Vercel
✓
✓
✓
Passed due to comp in ’24, now open
89
JS
Julia Saveliff
Dir Eng · Retool
✓
?
✓
Client was raving, only has Series A at Retool though
86
LB
Lawrence Brooks
CTO · Stealth
✕
✓
✓
Founder referral, just started looking
84
Native to Claude and ChatGPT
Stardex connects to Claude, ChatGPT, Manus & Gemini via an MCP connector, so your database is reachable from the tools your recruiters already have open. You can use Claude Code and Codex with our API too.
Claude
MCP
AP
0.94
BN
0.91
HS
0.88
Reply to Claude…
Stardex · MCP
AI Agents and Automation
Our background agents capture calls, draft submission write-ups, tag candidates, and update your pipeline. Your recruiters talk to candidates and clients; Dex agents run the admin.
People / Alex Pike
Auto-synced 2m ago
AP
Alex Pike
✦ Auto-tags
✦ Enterprise SaaS
✦ Auto-summary
1. Automated email
DAY 1
2. Automated email
DAY 3
3. LinkedIn message
DAY 5
Stage action
Subject
Body
$412k open
Contacts
Deals
Tasks
RK
DL
MB
TS
AW
Reports · Q1 2026
Live
Placements
23
Active searches
41
▲ 12%
Avg time to close
38d
▼ 9 days
DB re-use rate
67%
▲ 21pt
Placements by month
last 12 months
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
Advantage
Integrations
Stardex integrates with over 100 apps and offers an open API, providing your team with maximum flexibility. Bring your favorite calendar, notetaker, automation platform, and AI agent.
Enterprise-Grade
SOC 2 Type II
Independently audited and compliant with SOC 2 Type II.
GDPR Compliant
Compliant with EU data privacy regulations.
SSO & RBAC
Single sign-on, complete Audit logs, and role-based access control.
Automated Backups & No AI Training
Encrypted automated backups, and your data never trains any shared model.
FAQ
Does Stardex work for retained executive search firms?
Yes. Stardex is executive search software designed for nuanced, high-stakes retained search, with a CRM built for how search firms manage client relationships. It supports deep research into criteria such as revenue and funding journeys; confidential searches with a visible lock, scoped permissions, and hidden audit trails; rich candidate records spanning every interaction your firm has had over years; long-term relationship tracking so you can resume a conversation in 2028 that began in 2024; and retained or high-value fee models with revenue tracked by partner.
Is Stardex an AI recruitment platform or a traditional ATS?
Stardex is AI-native recruitment software, built on semantic search and AI agents from day one rather than adding AI onto a legacy ATS. That’s why search, tagging, matching, and data entry work automatically instead of as bolt-ons.
What features does your recruiting software include?
Stardex includes AI-powered semantic search across your entire database including notes, emails, and transcripts; candidate-to-search matching; a full recruiting CRM with business development pipeline; native reporting and analytics dashboards; branded client portals; outreach sequences with reply tracking; a Chrome extension for LinkedIn and LinkedIn Recruiter; two-way Gmail and Outlook sync; built-in contact enrichment; custom fields and tag taxonomy; deduplication, record merge, and audit trails; and a native MCP server connecting to Claude and ChatGPT.
What does migrating to Stardex look like?
We’ve migrated customers from Bullhorn, Thrive, Invenias, Loxo, Clockwork, Recruiterflow, Crelate, JobAdder, and many other platforms. Migration is fully managed and included at no extra cost. Most firms are fully migrated in under two weeks, with Stardex founders involved throughout the process. We migrate candidate data, including notes and files, enrich records with recent work histories, and give your team a chance to review the data before onboarding. Your team will typically spend less than three hours across the entire process.
Does Stardex work for contingent recruiting firms?
Yes, absolutely. Many contingent firms use Stardex to move quickly through higher-volume, faster, pipeline-heavy cycles, especially when throughput is the bottleneck. It brings sourcing automation through the Chrome extension and ChatGPT or Claude agents, outreach sequences with reply tracking and suggested next steps, team analytics to show who is working on what, where searches stall, and which sources are paying off, plus bulk operations to tag, email, or move 200 candidates in one pass.
Does Stardex work for private equity and venture capital firms?
Yes. Stardex works for private equity and venture capital firms. We help portfolio talent teams source top candidates across their partner networks and evaluate candidates throughout their searches.
Does Stardex work for contract staffing firms?
Yes. Stardex is flexible enough to support contract staffing firms, including temporary, contract, and high-volume hiring. It is built for speed and scale, helping teams manage fast-paced, short-term, and shift-based placements with workflows tailored to their compliance needs and placement cycles. Features such as scheduling, credential management, and real-time compliance tracking help staffing teams keep work moving without losing visibility.
Is Stardex SOC 2 certified? How secure is my data?
Yes. Stardex is SOC 2 Type II certified with a clean opinion. Data is hosted in the US, uptime is published at status.stardex.com, and the full report is available in our security portal.
Who owns my data? Can I export it?
Your data is yours. Export everything at any time, including custom fields, notes, tags, and documents, via CSV or the full API. No exit fees, no data hostage clauses, and export remains available after your contract ends.
Does my data train any AI model?
No. Stardex never uses your data to train any shared model. Our AI features run on your firm’s data only, according to your permissions, and nothing crosses organization boundaries.
Does Stardex sync with Outlook and Gmail?
Yes, two-way email integration with both. Emails log automatically to the right candidate or client record, calendar sync is included, and you can forward or CC an email into Stardex to create or update records.
Does Stardex have an MCP server? Can it connect to Claude and ChatGPT?
Yes. Stardex has a native MCP server, so recruiting agents in Claude or ChatGPT can search your database, update records, and generate reports through conversation. A documented REST API and webhooks are also available.
Is there a Chrome extension?
Yes. The Stardex Chrome extension works on LinkedIn, LinkedIn Recruiter, and Gmail. It can pull contact information, and writes it into the same candidate records your agents and team already use.
What is recruitment agency software, and how does it help my business?
Recruitment agency software is a platform that streamlines hiring by centralizing candidate data, automating repetitive tasks, and improving communication with both clients and candidates. It helps your business save time, reduce manual work, and place candidates faster, all while giving you better visibility into your pipeline.
What is an all-in-one ATS and CRM system?
An all-in-one ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) combines candidate management and client relationship tools in a single platform. This means you can source candidates, track applications, manage client interactions, and oversee placements, all without switching between different systems.
Who is the team behind Stardex?
We are a team of 8. We are backed by Y Combinator, FundersClub, Soma Capital and other prominent angels. We are cash flow positive. Around 100 executive search firms run on Stardex, and all product, engineering, and design is in-house.
