Recruiting often feels overwhelming for hiring managers, who spend countless hours sifting through CVs in search of quality talent. This tedious process frequently leads to missed opportunities with top candidates. This inefficiency is one of the challenges that Tommie Edwards seeks to address through her AI-driven platform, Tech1M.
Tommie Edwards is a seasoned entrepreneur with deep insights into technology and business. Her solution aims to transform the recruitment landscape, creating a more streamlined, effective process that ultimately supports both recruiters and job seekers.
Edwards’ journey into entrepreneurship began early. Born in Nigeria to parents who balanced day jobs with evening businesses, she was inspired by their drive and adaptability. At just 16, she took charge of her mother’s businesses, learning to lead teams and manage resources. She later ventured into importing African textiles and worked as a model for global brands, including Coca-Cola.
Relocating to the UK, she embarked on a corporate career, delivering digital transformation projects for Fortune 100 companies. This experience helped her grasp the complexities of scaling businesses and harnessing technology for growth.
In 2022, Edwards joined forces with Dami Ogunmoye to co-found Tech1M, a platform designed to reshape the hiring experience. Tech1M leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify talent evaluation and accelerate recruitment. The platform provides recruiters with valuable insights, allowing them to evaluate candidate suitability and make informed decisions quickly.
Supported by Techstars NYC and powered by J.P. Morgan, Tech1M unifies recruitment functions—from job posting to onboarding—on a single platform. This approach saves time and cuts hiring costs, which is crucial for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) facing recruitment challenges.
Recent reports show that many UK employers need help filling vacancies, sometimes compromising on candidate skills and experience. Tech1M addresses this by providing recruiters with data-driven tools that streamline the hiring process and reduce administrative workload.
For Tommie Edwards, technology should empower people, not replace them. Tech1M is built with this philosophy in mind, positioning AI as a “co-pilot” that assists rather than overtakes the human aspect of hiring. By handling the repetitive tasks, Tech1M enables recruiters to focus on what truly matters: connecting with candidates and fostering meaningful professional relationships.
“We can now focus on the human side of hiring,” Edwards says, “getting back to why we got into this field in the first place — building great teams.”
Under her leadership, Tech1M has gained recognition and support through several high-profile programmes, including Barclays Eagle Labs’ Black Venture Growth Programme and the Grow London Global Programme, led by the Mayor of London. These milestones, along with recent funding from SFC Capital and other prominent investors, underscore Tech1M’s role in shaping the future of recruitment.
With Tech1M, Edwards envisions a faster, more innovative, and more inclusive hiring process. That would give companies access to talent based on merit, while individuals, regardless of their background, could find opportunities that align with their potential.
