‘We don’t need to raise capital to grow’: Factorial CEO Jordi Romero

Barcelona-based Factorial has come a long way since its early days as a software startup offering free HR services. The business management platform is now used by more than 13k companies for everything from expense tracking to project management.It’s also scaling fast, with more than 1,300 employees and €110m in fresh funding from General Catalyst under its belt, which it raised in March. That means CEO and founder Jordi Romero has a job on his hands finding ways to keep momentum up. He’s also just onboarded 300 people in six months.What does he look for in those new hires? A “willingness to work”. What doesn’t impress him? “Logos and CVs”.In this week’s episode of the Sifted podcast, host Amy asks Jordi where AI is helping (and where it’s not), how the “unusual” General Catalyst deal came about and whether an IPO is on the horizon.This episode was brought to you by HSBC Innovation Banking, connecting you with what's next.