Khosla Ventures Leads $17.25M Series A in Brazil's Comp, Signaling a New Model for HR
HR tech startup Comp has raised $17.25 million in Series A funding led by Khosla Ventures-the firm's first investment in a Brazilian company. Keith Rabois will join the board, bringing scale-stage experience as the company pushes an AI-first approach that aims to replace traditional compensation consultancies.
For HR leaders, the takeaway is simple: the market is moving from one-off consulting and siloed tools to integrated, AI-assisted execution. Brazil is proving to be a strong launchpad-and a test case for what comes next globally.
Comp's Origin Story-and Why Brazil First
Co-founders Christophe Gerlach and Pedro Bobrow saw a gap in late 2022: many Brazilian companies lacked modern HR systems. That meant room to introduce a new operating model without running straight into incumbents like Workday or Rippling on day one.
Their focus: replace compensation and people-strategy consultants such as Mercer, Korn Ferry, and Willis Towers Watson with a hybrid human-AI service. Early traction includes clients like Nubank, QuintoAndar, and Creditas-plus most of Brazil's unicorns.
The Hybrid Model: Forward-Deployed HR + AI
Comp embeds former HR executives inside client teams. They handle the work first, then train the AI on the same workflows and best practices. As Gerlach puts it: "Our forward-deployed HR execs do all the work manually at first, and then they use that work to train the AI how to think in best practices."
Current services include:
- AI-assisted recruiting with intelligent candidate matching
- Compensation policy design informed by market data
- Performance reviews with automated feedback workflows
- Strategic HR planning powered by predictive analytics
The promise: faster cycles, fewer external consulting hours, and more consistent decision-making across recruiting, comp, and performance.
Why This Investment Matters
Khosla Ventures' participation brings global visibility and a signal of confidence in AI for enterprise HR. Keith Rabois joining the board adds scale-minded governance as Comp eyes international markets.
- Series A: $17.25 million
- Lead investor: Khosla Ventures
- Board: Keith Rabois
- Primary market: Brazil
- Key competitors: Mercer, Korn Ferry, Rippling, Workday
- Expansion plans: United States and additional countries
Positioning: "We Become the HR Team"
Traditional consultancies sell expertise. Most HR software sells productivity to lean teams. Comp stakes out the middle: expert operators who systematize their work into AI so clients gain capability, not just tooling.
As Gerlach frames it: "Rippling sells software to junior HR teams to make them more productive. We become the HR team."
Market Drivers HR Leaders Should Track
- Cloud adoption and data standardization across HR stacks
- Broader acceptance of AI in hiring, comp, and performance decisions
- Distributed work creating demand for digital-first processes
- Analytics shaping talent quality, retention, and workforce planning
- Regulatory complexity that benefits from AI-assisted compliance
Brazil is a strong fit: less legacy software to unwind, complex labor rules that reward automation, and a high concentration of tech-forward employers ready to pilot.
From Augmentation to Autonomy (Measured, Not Reckless)
Comp's roadmap moves from AI-assisted delivery to increasingly autonomous HR agents. Human expertise won't disappear-it sets the standard, trains the models, and handles edge cases. The handoff to automation will be gradual and quality-checked.
Global Expansion: What to Expect
Moving into the U.S. brings larger budgets, stricter buyers, and entrenched platforms. Comp's edge will likely be its embedded-operator model paired with AI-not purely feature-based competition.
This aligns with where investors are placing bets: specific, measurable business outcomes over generalized AI platforms. In HR, that means lower consulting spend, faster cycles, and better hiring and pay decisions backed by data.
What This Means for HR Leaders
- Reassess your HR operating model: where do you rely on consultants today that could shift to embedded services plus AI?
- Prioritize clean data and process clarity-AI is only as good as the inputs and guardrails.
- Pilot in one function (e.g., compensation design) with clear success metrics and expand from there.
- Build governance now: decision rights, audit trails, explainability standards, and bias checks.
FAQs
Q1: What makes Comp different from other HR software companies?
Comp pairs AI with forward-deployed HR leaders who do the work first, then codify it into the system. The service evolves from hands-on delivery to automation, preserving quality while scaling.
Q2: Why did Comp launch in Brazil?
Underserved software adoption and complex labor rules created room for a new model without immediately facing U.S.-market incumbents.
Q3: What role does Keith Rabois play?
He joins the board as part of Khosla Ventures' investment, guiding scale, expansion, and go-to-market strategy beyond Brazil.
Q4: How does the business model work?
Comp provides AI-powered recruiting, compensation, and performance systems, backed by embedded HR experts who "become the team" and gradually transition work to automation.
Q5: What's next after this funding?
Expansion into the United States and other markets, along with pushing the platform toward greater autonomy while keeping human oversight for quality and edge cases.
Further Learning for HR Teams
- AI for Human Resources - practical guides on AI recruiting, talent management, and workforce analytics.
- AI Learning Path for CHROs - executive-level frameworks for AI strategy, governance, and scale.
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