Specialist fractional and executive recruitment for London's startup ecosystem
London startup hiring challenges we solve
Cash flow constraints
Pre-funding: Cannot afford £150,000+ C-suite salaries
Post-Series A: Need to conserve cash while scaling rapidly
Growth stage: Balancing permanent vs fractional leadership
Exit preparation: Building executive team for acquisition/IPO
Speed and agility requirements
Immediate need: Hire within days, not months
Market timing: First-mover advantage in competitive markets
Fundraising deadlines: Executive team needed for due diligence
Crisis leadership: Rapid response to market changes
Equity and compensation complexity
Equity packages: Stock options, EMI schemes, carry structures
Fractional models: Part-time executive compensation
Performance incentives: OKR-based and milestone compensation
International teams: Cross-border equity and employment
Startup recruitment services
Fractional executive placement
Fractional CEO: Strategic leadership 1-3 days/week (£1,200-£2,500/day)
Fractional CFO: Financial strategy and fundraising (£600-£1,200/day)
Fractional CTO: Technical leadership and scaling (£800-£1,400/day)
Fractional CMO: Growth marketing and GTM (£600-£1,000/day)
Fractional COO: Operations and scaling (£700-£1,500/day)
Executive search and permanent placement
C-suite search: CEO, CTO, CFO, CMO permanent recruitment
Founding team: Co-founder and early leadership roles
VP level: Vice President and Director level roles
Board positions: Non-executive directors and advisors
Interim and project-based leadership
Interim CEO: During permanent search or crisis (£1,500-£3,000/day)
Project executives: Specific initiatives and transformations
Turnaround leadership: Crisis management and restructuring
Integration leaders: Post-acquisition and merger leadership
Advisory and consulting
Compensation consulting: Equity structures and benchmarking
Organizational design: Team structure and role definition
Succession planning: Leadership development and transitions
Board advisory: Governance and investor relations
London startup ecosystem expertise
Geographic specialization
Tech City / Silicon Roundabout (EC1/EC2)
Old Street, Shoreditch, Hoxton startup cluster
5,000+ tech companies and startups
Seed to Series B company concentration
Specialties: SaaS, MarTech, AdTech, Developer tools
Canary Wharf / City (E14/EC2)
FinTech and RegTech startup hub
Close to traditional financial services
Enterprise-focused B2B startups
Specialties: FinTech, InsurTech, WealthTech, Payments
King's Cross / Camden (N1/NW1)
Growing startup ecosystem around Google/Meta
Mixed B2B and consumer startups
Strong transport links across London
Specialties: AI/ML, Data, Consumer tech
Industry vertical expertise
FinTech (40% of our placements)
Payments, banking, lending, wealth management
FCA↗ regulatory knowledge essential
Series A to unicorn stage companies
Recent placements: Monzo, Revolut, Starling Bank portfolio
HealthTech and Digital Health
NHS digital transformation opportunities
Medical devices, digital therapeutics
Clinical trial and regulatory expertise
Growth driver: £2.1bn NHS digital investment
AI and Machine Learning
Computer vision, NLP, data platforms
Enterprise AI and automation
Research commercialization
Growth driver: £7bn UK AI investment commitment
SaaS and Enterprise Software
B2B software and platforms
Developer tools and infrastructure
Vertical SaaS solutions
Growth driver: Remote work digital transformation
Funding stage specialization
Pre-seed and seed stage (£25K-£2M)
Focus: Product-market fit and initial team building
Typical roles: Part-time CTO, fractional marketing
Compensation: Heavy equity, lower cash
Timeline: Immediate availability, flexible arrangements
Series A (£2M-£10M)
Focus: Professional management and scaling
Typical roles: Fractional CFO, CMO, COO
Compensation: Market rates plus equity
Timeline: 2-4 weeks for placement
Series B and beyond (£10M+)
Focus: Market expansion and operational excellence
Typical roles: Full-time C-suite or senior fractional
Compensation: Competitive packages with equity upside
Timeline: Executive search process 6-12 weeks
Growth and late stage
Focus: IPO preparation and international expansion
Typical roles: Public company ready executives
Compensation: Market + equity + performance incentives
Timeline: Comprehensive search 3-6 months
Our recruitment process
1. Startup brief and specification
Business context: Stage, funding, growth trajectory
Role definition: Responsibilities, success metrics, reporting
Cultural fit: Values, working style, team dynamics
Compensation: Cash, equity, performance structure
2. Market mapping and sourcing
Network activation: 500+ startup executives in database
Competitor analysis: Teams at similar stage/sector companies
Referral programs: Existing portfolio and advisor networks
Direct approach: Targeted outreach to passive candidates
3. Candidate assessment
Experience screening: Relevant startup and scale-up experience
Cultural assessment: Fit with startup environment and values
Reference checking: Performance verification and due diligence
Case study presentation: Problem-solving and strategic thinking
4. Client presentation and selection
Shortlist presentation: 3-5 qualified candidates with detailed profiles
Interview coordination: Structured process with feedback loops
Final selection: Reference calls and compensation negotiation
Onboarding support: Integration and 90-day check-ins
Success metrics and guarantees
Placement success rates
Fractional executives: 95% success rate, start within 2 weeks
Permanent executives: 85% success rate, 6-week average time
Interim leadership: 100% availability within 48 hours
Retained search: 90% completion rate within agreed timeline
Quality guarantees
12-month guarantee: Free replacement for permanent placements
90-day guarantee: Free replacement for fractional executives
Performance monitoring: Regular check-ins and feedback
Cultural fit warranty: No-cost replacement for culture mismatch
Client satisfaction metrics
98% client satisfaction: Based on post-placement surveys
85% repeat business: Clients return for additional placements
4.9/5 average rating: Google Reviews and Trustpilot
90% executive retention: Placed executives stay 18+ months
Why startups choose us over traditional recruiters
Startup-specific expertise
Industry knowledge: Understanding of startup dynamics and challenges
Network depth: 500+ startup executives across all functions
Speed and agility: Rapid response to urgent hiring needs
Flexible models: Fractional, interim, permanent, and advisory options
Equity and compensation expertise
Equity structuring: Stock options, EMI schemes, performance equity
Benchmarking: Market rates for each funding stage
International: Cross-border hiring and employment
Creative packages: Non-traditional compensation structures
Investor and ecosystem connections
VC relationships: Direct connections to Tier 1 and emerging VCs
Accelerator networks: Techstars, Entrepreneur First, Seedcamp alumni
Advisory placement: Board advisors and strategic mentors
Ecosystem integration: Introductions to relevant startups and scale-ups
Client testimonials and case studies
Series A FinTech - Fractional CFO placement
"We needed a CFO to prepare for Series A but couldn't afford £150k salary. Within 48 hours, we had 3 qualified fractional CFO candidates. Our chosen candidate helped us raise £8M Series A in 4 months."
Industry: Payments and Banking
Stage: Seed to Series A
Result: Successful £8M raise, 40% founder equity preserved
Series B HealthTech - CTO search
"Technical due diligence was blocking our Series B. We needed a permanent CTO with NHS and regulatory experience. The team found our perfect candidate in 3 weeks - someone we never would have found ourselves."
Industry: Digital Health
Stage: Series A to Series B
Result: £15M Series B closed, CTO led technical DD
Scale-up SaaS - Fractional CMO + permanent VP Sales
"We were scaling from £1M to £10M ARR and needed both marketing leadership and sales infrastructure. The fractional CMO started immediately while they found our permanent VP Sales. Seamless process."
Industry: B2B SaaS
Stage: Growth to scale-up
Result: 300% revenue growth, successful permanent hires
Fee structure and investment
Fractional executive placement
Flat fee: £5,000-£15,000 depending on role seniority
No ongoing fees: One-time placement fee only
Fast turnaround: 48-hour shortlist, 1-2 week placement
Guarantee: 90-day satisfaction guarantee
Permanent executive search
Retained search: 30% of first-year compensation
Contingency option: 20% for Director level, 25% for C-suite
Payment terms: 1/3 on brief, 1/3 on shortlist, 1/3 on placement
Guarantee: 12-month replacement guarantee
Interim and project leadership
Sourcing fee: £2,500-£7,500 depending on urgency
No markup: Direct contractor/client relationship
Immediate availability: 24-48 hour mobilization
Flexible duration: Project-based or ongoing interim
Ready to hire startup leadership?
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