Doostang

Doostang.com operates as an exclusive online career network tailored for young professionals and recent graduates from premier universities. Founded in July 2005 at Stanford University by Mareza Larizadeh and Pavel Krapivin, the platform was conceived to improve the recruitment process by leveraging personal networks. Larizadeh, who holds an MBA and an MS in Engineering from Stanford, previously worked as an analyst at Merrill Lynch and as a Vice President at DFJ ePlanet Ventures before co-founding Doostang. This background in finance and venture capital provided a strong foundation for building a platform focused on high-caliber job placements.

The company's history began with an invite-only model, designed to connect friends with job opportunities and networking contacts. This exclusivity was a key component of its early strategy, based on the hypothesis that curated networks would yield higher-quality candidates for recruiters. The platform initially opened to students and alumni from top-tier undergraduate and MBA programs in September 2008 before shifting to open registration in July 2009. Doostang's business model focused on connecting high-achieving job seekers with prestigious employers in sectors like finance, consulting, media, and technology. For employers, the platform offered access to a concentrated pool of qualified candidates, with companies like Goldman Sachs, Bain & Company, and Google utilizing the service. For job seekers, it provided access to hand-picked positions that were often difficult to find elsewhere. While employers could post jobs for free, the platform's value was in the quality and exclusivity of its member base.

Doostang secured significant financial backing, starting with a $1 million seed round in February 2007 from notable angel investors including Andy Rachleff, co-founder of Benchmark Capital. This was followed by a $3.5 million Series A round in September 2007 from Shasta Ventures. Over its lifetime, the company raised a total of $5.75 million. The company grew to serve nearly a million members by 2011. In a significant milestone, Doostang was acquired by Universum Group, a global leader in employer branding, in July 2011. Following the acquisition, Jeff Berger was appointed as the new CEO. Doostang also expanded by acquiring Jobfox in October 2012.

Keywords: career network, job platform, graduate recruitment, university recruiting, professional networking, finance jobs, consulting careers, tech jobs, MBA careers, investment banking jobs, Doostang, Mareza Larizadeh, Pavel Krapivin, elite jobs, exclusive network, Shasta Ventures, Universum Group, high-achiever jobs, student career services, young professionals