AI & deep tech · Pre-seed
A Tier-1 founding team, built entirely in stealth.
invite rate
hires in month one
in 8 weeks
The brief.
Serial founders, previously behind two unicorns, raised a double-digit million pre-seed round from a leading US VC. Operating in stealth meant near-zero brand pull despite strong pedigree, and the founders would only accept Tier-1 calibre profiles for the founding engineering team. Immediate hiring momentum post-fundraise was critical.
The search.
We built a precise archetype framework aligned to founder expectations, sourcing on signal rather than pedigree alone: top-tier CS graduates, engineers from VC-backed startups and unicorns, former founders and strong builder signals. Within three days of kickoff a curated slate of 34 candidates was live, 33 invited to interview. A dedicated Talent Strategist embedded directly with the founders for real-time calibration and continuous pipeline refresh.
The hire.
Over 100 candidates sourced in 8 weeks, a 90%+ first-interview invite rate and 70%+ progression to second interview. Three hires landed in the first month, with the founding team built without a single public job posting.
"A Tier-1 founding team delivered in stealth, without a single job posting."
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