Supercharging recruitment agencies with our next-gen system
Built by two friends in Barcelona, Spain chasing a dream — now trusted by recruitment agencies in 18+ countries.
Chris Allen (Co-Founder and CEO)
Ricard Torres (Co-Founder & CTO)
In early 2024, life changed fast for Chris.
After a successful marketing career, he was suddenly made redundant. At home, there was a newborn — and another baby on the way. Overnight, the pressure became real. And like many people unexpectedly back in the job market, landing a new role proved much harder than expected.
During the job search, Chris found himself speaking with recruiters every single day. The more conversations he had, the closer he got to their world — their bottlenecks, their frustrations, and the gaps in the tools they relied on.
That’s when he had an idea.
Chris pitched it to Ricard — a close friend of nearly a decade, and a highly talented software engineer who was at a crossroads with a previous project. Ricard wanted to build something useful. Something impactful. Something people really needed.
One evening, over a barbecue and beers, the conversation turned from problems… to possibilities.
That night, they decided to build something together.
And in July 2024, they took the leap.
Their first idea was a platform to help companies screen high volumes of applicants using online assessments. But it wasn’t gaining traction — especially with companies that were hesitant to add more steps to their hiring process.
Then something interesting happened.
When they looked closely at their waitlist, they noticed that 75% of signups weren’t companies at all — they were independent recruiters and small agencies.
That was a huge signal.
While Ricard continued developing, Chris doubled down on conversations — as many recruiter calls as he could possibly fit into each day.
Through dozens of interviews, one thing became clear: small agencies and solo recruiters were drowning in admin, switching between disconnected tools, and overpaying for software that still left them with spreadsheets and manual processes.
A huge opportunity was staring them in the face.
So in October 2024, Chris and Ricard made a bold decision: pivot.
Not with a polished pitch deck.
Not with a Silicon Valley-style vision.
But with a simple mission:
Build the system they wished existed for the recruiters they spoke to every day — and create something that could support their growing families at the same time.
Between baby nap times, late nights, and sleep-deprived mornings, they launched the first version of Happlicant — a simple ATS.
But recruiters wanted more.
And as Chris and Ricard continued listening, interviewing, and iterating, Happlicant quickly evolved into something much bigger:
An all-in-one operating system designed specifically for independent recruiters and small agencies.
Fast.
Flexible.
Modern.
Built for the way recruiters actually work.
Today, Happlicant helps recruiters:
Save hours every day through smart automation
Identify and engage top talent faster
Close more roles without burning out
Deliver a better client and candidate experience
Run their agency in one clean, modern system
What started as a difficult chapter for two friends became the foundation for a growing global business — helping recruiters work smarter, move faster, and build agencies they genuinely enjoy running.
And this is only the beginning.
Chris and Ricard now work alongside 10+ team members across 6 countries, supporting recruiters in more than 18 nations.
Their philosophy hasn’t changed either. Just like in the early days, they stay close to recruiters — listening, learning, and improving with one simple goal:
Create the best all-in-one operating system for recruiters, anywhere in the world.
