After graduating from Cornell College, Christophe Gerlach spent almost two years investing completely in HR tech startups for Common Atlantic. Investing was thrilling, however Gerlach was craving to get again into entrepreneurship.
Whereas at Cornell, Gerlach (pictured above, proper) constructed and offered a food delivery startup alongside classmate Pedro Bobrow (pictured above, left), a Brazilian native. Then in late 2022, Gerlach and Bobrow (beforehand a product supervisor at Lyft) teamed up once more, merging their sector experience and cultural roots to launch Comp, an HR tech startup targeted on Brazil.
Comp is constructing AI-powered HR software program that may help with duties like recruiting, setting compensation insurance policies and designing efficiency evaluate programs. The startup additionally offers “forward-deployed” consultants — former HR executives — who work with clients to design methods for compensation, efficiency, and recruiting.
Whereas firms in Brazil usually rent compensation consultants, Gerlach says its forward-deployed HR executives shouldn’t be seen as consultants, however fairly as extensions of present HR groups.
These executives additionally play a crucial function in refining Comp’s expertise. “Our forward-deployed HR execs do all of the work manually at first, after which they use that work to coach the AI the best way to assume in greatest practices,” Gerlach mentioned.
The concept, after all, is that over time, Comp’s AI brokers will turn into absolutely autonomous and able to performing conventional HR capabilities.
Whereas Comp at present provides AI-supported HR companies augmented by professionals, its objective is to displace each conventional consultancies and HR software program. As Gerlach places it: “Rippling sells software program to junior HR groups to make them extra productive. We turn into the HR staff.”
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To that finish, Comp this week raised a $17.25 million Sequence A spherical led by Khosla Ventures, marking the VC agency’s first-ever funding in a Brazilian firm. Khosla common associate Keith Rabois has joined Comp’s board of administrators as a part of the deal.
Comp is positioning itself as an AI different to conventional compensation consultancies like Mercer, Korn Ferry, and Willis Towers Watson. It additionally competes with world HR platforms akin to Rippling and Workday.
Gerlach says Comp launched in Brazil as a result of many firms within the nation lack conventional HR software program, which has allowed the startup to introduce a brand new, automated mannequin fairly than competing with established platforms.
The enterprise mannequin appears to have already gaining traction in Brazil: its shoppers embrace Nubank, QuintoAndar, Creditas, and “just about each unicorn in Brazil,” Gerlach mentioned. The startup is now eyeing an growth into the U.S. and different international locations.
Different traders in Comp’s Sequence A included present backers Kaszek and Canary, in addition to new traders Summary Ventures and Endeavor Catalyst.
