From screening 800+ engineers to reinventing the interview itself.
We started by solving our own problem, the pain of screening hundreds of candidates manually. What began as an internal AI interviewer for our own hiring became something bigger: a way to make interviews fair, fast, and human again.
The Hiring Crisis Every Company Faces
Technology has made applying easy, but screening has become chaotic and inefficient. Recruiters drown in volume, bias creeps into early rounds, and great candidates disappear before anyone meets them.
of hiring teams say screening is their biggest bottleneck.
are lost to first-round calls each month.
of qualified candidates drop off before a real interview.
Our Journey: From Problem to Solution
How we went from experiencing hiring chaos firsthand to building the AI interviewer that transforms recruitment for teams worldwide.
The Origin
The Origin
We Lived This Problem
Our team used to run a developer talent network across Southeast Asia.
We reviewed hundreds of applications every week, each requiring the same repetitive screening calls. It was time-consuming, inconsistent, and impossible to scale without losing quality.
So, we built an AI interviewer to do it for us, one that could hold a natural conversation, follow up intelligently, and produce structured reports.
The results changed everything.
That's when we decided to turn our internal AI interviewer into a product that every team could use.
Engineers screened with our AI interviewer
Across Southeast Asia
Saved per month on screening
Replaced repetitive first calls
The Pivot
The Pivot
From Internal Tool to Global Solution
That internal tool became Merra, a conversational AI that replaces first-round interviews with natural, back-and-forth discussions.
It listens, asks relevant follow-ups, scores responses across focus areas, and gives every candidate feedback.
Today, Merra is used by hiring teams and startups who want to save time, reduce bias, and make their candidate experience stand out.
Supported by ElevenLabs
AI Innovation Grant recipient
Helping us push the boundaries of what natural, human-sounding AI can achieve in hiring.
Hours to Shortlist
Time Reduction
Candidate Satisfaction
What We Learned
What We Learned
What 800+ Interviews Taught Us
After running hundreds of interviews, we learned what makes screening work:
Real conversation beats scripted video questions
Natural back-and-forth dialogue reveals more about candidates than one-way recorded responses.
Candidates engage more when they're heard and receive feedback
Interactive interviews with constructive feedback create better candidate experiences.
Recruiters make better decisions with objective, evidence-based scoring
Data-driven assessments eliminate bias and provide clear justification for hiring decisions.
The Result: AI That Scales Excellence
Merra's conversational interviewer delivers consistency without losing the human touch.
What We Built: The AI That Scales Excellence
Merra's conversational interviewer delivers consistency without losing the human touch.
It gives you:
Real-time adaptive questioning and follow-ups
Natural conversations that adapt based on candidate responses
0–100 match-fit scores across custom focus areas
Precise scoring tailored to your specific role requirements
Searchable transcripts and video recordings
Complete interview documentation for easy review and analysis
Automated candidate feedback and shortlisting
Professional feedback for every candidate with intelligent ranking
Integration with 60+ ATS systems
Seamless workflow with Workday, Greenhouse, Lever, and more
Branded, natural candidate experience
Maintain your company's voice while delivering consistent quality
All while maintaining a branded, natural candidate experience.
Meet the Team
Built by a small team obsessed with fixing how hiring feels.
We're founders, engineers, and product designers who've experienced the chaos of early-stage hiring firsthand.
Ahmed Ghelle
Founder & CEO
Founder leading sales and operations at Merra after screening 800+ engineers through AI interviews.
Mazka Buana Hidayat
Head of AI / Research
AI engineer driving Merra's conversational models and real-time adaptation.
Samuel Steven Prisma Hasyono
CTO / Product
Full-stack engineer focused on scalable infrastructure and seamless candidate experience.
Our Values: What Drives Us
These principles guide every decision we make, from product features to customer relationships.
Excellence First
The AI that found the top 1% holds the same standard for everyone. No compromise on quality.
Every interview scored to the same rigorous standard that identified world-class performers.
Evidence Over Opinion
Every score backed by transcript proof. No black boxes, no gut feelings—just data.
Complete transparency in how we evaluate candidates and make recommendations.
Fairness by Design
Every candidate gets feedback by default. Fair assessment regardless of background.
Building inclusive hiring that gives everyone an equal opportunity to showcase their skills.
Our Mission
To make fair, data-driven interviews accessible to every hiring team.
To replace first-round chaos with clarity and consistency.
And to make sure every candidate leaves with feedback, not silence.
Engaging Forward-Thinking Teams
Working with early partners to shape a faster, fairer, and more human hiring process.
Built for Recruiters Who Value Time, Not Extra Tabs.
Merra replaces first-round interviews with one conversational AI experience that saves time, reduces bias, and improves candidate experience automatically.
Free trial • No credit card required • 5-minute setup