Handshake

Handshake is an American employment platform that connects college students and young alumni with job and internship opportunities. Launched in 2014 by three computer science students from Michigan Tech, Handshake aims to bridge the opportunity gap for students from smaller schools. The platform has grown significantly, partnering with 1,200 institutions and supporting 550,000 companies. Handshake operates as a subscription-based service for universities and recruiters, allowing students and alumni to create profiles and receive personalized job recommendations at no cost. Recruiters can post job listings and internships tailored to specific schools. The platform also produces annual job trend reports based on user surveys, helping organizations refine their hiring strategies. As of February 2024, Handshake is headquartered in San Francisco and employs approximately 725 people.

Information Technology & Services San Francisco, United States Founded 2014 ~8,552 employees Private · Series F

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Employees
8,552
+8.6% in the 3 months to Sep 2026
Revenue / employee
$32.7K
Revenue ~$280M
Total funding
$514M
Last round Series F, Jan 2022
12-month attrition
46.5%
Tech: 35.7%
H1B sponsor
NA
Open jobs
37
Last 30 days

Headcount trend

Handshake went from 703 employees in Oct 2024 to 8,552 in Sep 2026. Apr to Sep 2026: 3,214 people joined, 1,600 left.

Org structure

Headcount by department

Other6,619
Engineering1,095
Operations271
Design131
Marketing130
Finance97
Success74
Sales65

Salaries at Handshake

All salaries

45 salary profiles in the US

Most reported roles

Pay by level, gender and ethnicity

Layoffs

Details

No layoffs reported in the last 12 months.

  • Oct 2025 · 100 roles (~15%) · San Francisco, United States

See companies that haven't had layoffs

Funding

  • Jan 2022 · Series F · $200M · Base10 Partners, Coatue Management, Valiant Peregrine Fund
  • May 2021 · Series E · $80M · Lightspeed Venture Partners, Notable Capital, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
  • Oct 2020 · Series D · $80M · Lightspeed Venture Partners, Notable Capital, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
  • Nov 2019 · $80M · True Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Niantic
  • Oct 2018 · Series C · $40M · Lightspeed Venture Partners, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, True Ventures
  • Nov 2016 · Series B · $20M · Lightspeed Venture Partners, True Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
  • Feb 2016 · Series A · $10.5M · Lightspeed Venture Partners, GSV, Charlie Cheever
  • Mar 2015 · Seed · $3.5M · Lightspeed Venture Partners, Charlie Cheever, True Ventures

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Handshake FAQ

How many employees does Handshake have?

Handshake has about 8,552 employees, up 8.6% over the 3 months to Sep 2026.

Has Handshake had layoffs in 2026?

No layoffs at Handshake have been reported in 2026 so far. The most recent reported layoff affected 100 employees on Oct 14, 2025.

What is Handshake's revenue per employee?

Handshake makes about $33K in revenue per employee, based on $280M annual revenue and 8,552 employees.

How much does Handshake pay?

6figr has 45 salary profiles for Handshake in the US, with pay broken down by role, level, gender and ethnicity on the Handshake salaries page. See Handshake salaries

How much funding has Handshake raised?

Handshake has raised $514M in total funding; its latest round was Series F in Jan 2022.

Data from Company Prospectus, DOL LCA disclosures, WARN notices and 6figr salary profiles.