Ex-iProperty CEO backs Malaysian HR tech firm

Malaysia-based BrioHR, an HR tech platform, has raised an undisclosed sum from investors Georg Chmiel and Thariq Usman Ahmad.

Juwai IQI Holdings co-founder Georg Chmiel / Photo credit: BrioHR

Chmiel will undertake the role of a senior advisor at the firm starting this month as part of the deal.

BrioHR is a cloud-based human resources management platform that offers services ranging from recruitment to payroll for SMEs in Southeast Asia.

Chmiel is the co-founder of Juwai IQI Holdings, a proptech firm with over 25,000 agents. He was the former CEO of real estate platform iProperty, which hit profitability under his leadership. He also served as the executive chair of automotive marketplace network iCar Asia before it was acquired by Carsome.

Meanwhile, Thariq is a founding partner at Tuas Capital Partners and the deputy CEO of KAF Investment Bank. He is a Malaysian fixed-income fund manager with 20 years of experience in the country’s bond market.

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“The pandemic has had an impact on every business function, and as a result, HR teams and departments have been thrust into the spotlight, forcing immediate changes in employee experience and leadership,” said BrioHR co-founder Benjamin Croc.

A graduate from Y Combinator, BrioHR raised US$1.3 million in March 2021 from investors including Global Founders Capital and East Ventures.