Sam S.

Here are some UK VC Trends as We Enter H2 2025 🚀 👉1.2 trillion tech sector & #3 globally overall – UK remains a powerhouse with deep early-stage pipelines and thriving scale-ups. 👉VC up ~31% YoY (Jan–Apr), led by standout mega-rounds in AI, healthtech, biotech and deep tech. 👉UK AI startups raised $1.03 bn in Q1, the strongest Q1 in 3 years – but securing growth capital and talent remains a challenge. 👉Healthtech (/life sciences) took the lead with $1.8 bn in Q1 – more than fintech and software combined. 👉VC investment is becoming more focused: fewer but larger rounds into specialised verticals (AI, drug discovery, AI-infra). Why it matters: 👉Investors are favouring depth over spread – champions of specific verticals are winning funding . 👉UK’s mature ecosystem + policy reforms (e.g. pension and department-backed funds, NWF) offer momentum, but better exits and visa/tax clarity are still needed . 👉As someone in recruitment, I’m seeing strong demand for talent in AI, healthtech and deep tech—especially in roles requiring specialised expertise. Built-in Opportunity: Founders with technically rich propositions and evidence of focus continue to unlock deep pockets. The key for H2? Demonstrate real product-market fit in niche verticals—and the capital will follow. My Opinion: I believe the shift to quality over quantity in funding rounds is a healthy sign – it shows maturity in the UK ecosystem.🏅

10

How we’re hitting a 3-week time-to-hire for senior software engineers without cutting corners. Here’s a breakdown of how we filled a high-context senior frontend role at Web3 scaleup Rarible using the same system that’s now delivering 3-week TTH across our portfolio. Hiring high-bar engineers in Web3 isn't just about reach. It’s about rigour. We created an AI-enabled, go-to-market hiring campaign: The process (built for speed + quality) Clear ICP We mapped must-haves, dealbreakers, and likely objections up front, not after wasting 2 weeks. → Must-haves: React, TypeScript, Rx.js → No consultancies. Remote, GMT ±2. Web3/consumer background. Calibration table Turned the JD into a decision-making framework for screening, scorecards and syncs. → “Must-have vs. nice-to-have” clarity → Evidence > vibes → Helped the hiring team say yes/no faster, with less debate. Market mapping We broke down the talent pool into Tier 1 & Tier 2 across Europe. → 2,200+ profiles analysed → 96 Tier 1 engineers in Eastern Europe alone → Gave the client hard numbers + sourcing strategy options Structured interview kit → 10 categories → Scoring guidance for strong vs. weak answers → Reduced noise + sped up decision making Email outreach (that engineers actually respond to) → 4-part drip sequence (value prop, re-engage, product context, final nudge) → Personalised via GPT-4, signed off by the hiring lead → Tone: casual, confident, clear AI-enabled workflows → Automated outreach via n8n → Our Talent Partner operated like a full-stack squad Notion sourcing tracker → Per region: LinkedIn links, tags, message history → Fast async syncs with the client. No crossed wires. Prepped FAQ answers → Role, team, onboarding, tech stack, roadmap → Helped candidates convert Boolean done properly → Targeted for Rx.js + Web3 → Excluded low-context profiles → Localised by region The result ✔️ Fast, high-quality close ✔️ Happy hiring manager ✔️ Clean, repeatable system we now run across clients Hiring engineers in SaaS, Web3, fintech, or AI? This is the level of precision that gets results. DM me or connect if you want support.

66

11 Comments

When a fast-growing London consultancy spins out a 20-person staffing arm in 4 months, you need systems that scale without breaking. MLabs' results with Ropes tell the story: * 30 risky/fraudulent candidates stopped before client submission * 3 new major clients won with Ropes as a key differentiator * Now used in 100% of sales conversations But here's what really stood out from our conversation with Georgia Kingston (Sales, Marketing & Partnerships Director): "Remote roles attract a huge volume of candidates now, and the reality is that not all of them are legit. We needed to make sure we weren't just moving fast, but actually surfacing the right candidates and giving clients confidence in who they were speaking to." On differentiation: "Instead of just saying we vet candidates properly, we can show them exactly how. It gives us a clear, concrete answer when clients ask what makes us different." MLabs turned a fraud incident into a competitive advantage. They built a trust layer that's now embedded in every submission and every sales conversation. When clients ask "What makes you different?", having a concrete answer changes everything. Full case study below!

65

5 Comments

Exactly one week ago, I had one of the most eye opening candidate interviews I've experienced, and it completely changed how I think about interviews. A candidate from the city reached out to apply to work at Swift. Instead of having them commute out, we mentioned that we'd already be in the city for an upcoming event and suggested meeting there if it was easier. That decision made all the difference. We met at the event and the interview unfolded in a totally different way. Not only did we have a great conversation, but we also got to see the candidate in action, how they networked, communicated, and interacted naturally in a real environment. That insight alone was invaluable. Because the interview took place in a setting where the candidate felt comfortable and authentic, the process was smoother, more natural, and far more revealing. It was so effective that instead of multiple interview rounds, that one meeting was enough. It really made me rethink the tradition .erview model. Sometimes an office setting limits people. When candidates are placed in environments where theycan be themselves, you get a much clearer picture of who they truly are. We ended up hiring the candidate and the experience was a huge success. Maybe it's time to rethink how interviews are conducted... #Recruiting #TalentAcquisition #SwiftStaffing

16

1 Comment

👻 Kiro 👻 has had a whole host of great new features recently. There are the really big ones like Skills support and the constant evolution with new models like Opus and Sonnet 4.6, but one of my favourites is ACP... The Agent Client Protocol lets you take advantage of one of the best coding assistants 💪 around and use the underlying agent in a variety of different clients. I've been exploring how you can take advantage of Kiro for use cases that aren't all about writing code 💻 and how you and your teams can all reap the benefits from its huge capability. I've got my latest post in the comments on some of my favourite new ways to use Kiro with ACP. Let me know what you think. 🚀 #kiro #genai #kirocli

27

2 Comments

🌟 Below is a ROUGH guide on CTO salary averages 💰 for the types of UK Tech Scale-Ups NearTech work with (these obviously vary depending on overall package as well as remote / hybrid / on-site work)... #CTOHiring #CTOSalaries NearTech Search

58

5 Comments

🚀 Why Your Advert Won’t Get You the Best AI | ML | Software Talent Our last four IC placements: • 3 x Lead / Senior AI / ML Engineers (defence-tech, bio-tech, digital health) • 1 x Senior Typescript SaaS Engineer (clean-tech) Not one of these candidates was applying on Seek or job boards. What I hear from them is consistent: 1️⃣ 'I didn’t have enough clarity on the problems I’d be solving, the roadmap, or the team - so I didn’t bother applying.' 2️⃣ 'You caught me before I started looking. I’m not actively searching, but I’d be interested in this specific opportunity…' 3️⃣ 'Between work and family commitments, I don’t have the time to go through job ads.' 4️⃣ 'You’ve been recommended - I’d rather just speak with you, and you can bring me relevant positions.' 5️⃣ 'I didn’t want to be one of 100 applicants and risk getting overlooked.' These are conversations I have every week with passive and ‘hidden’ talent. Yet on the other side, I still hear: • “Let’s just put an advert out on Seek - it’s always worked before.” • “We can save the agency fee if we advertise direct.” The challenge is that while adverts bring volume, you are missing out on your ideal profile match especially in the competitive landscape of AI / ML and deep-tech. Meanwhile… • Teams burn time screening unsuitable CVs = interview fatigue = compromise hires. • The best people are missed - because they never applied in the first place. An advert alone can’t compete with the reach of a specialist recruiter who speaks daily with AI / ML and software professionals - including those not visible on job boards. That’s why high-growth companies focus on value over short-term 'cost': ✅ Hire the best person faster ✅ Avoid wasted internal time ✅ Raise the bar with every hire ✅ Speed up team velocity & solve complex roadmap problems Every hire is an opportunity to raise the bar. The companies that embrace this mindset are the ones building stronger teams and moving faster.

10

Here are the highest-paying companies in the UK for Software Engineers! (based on 'all levels' from Levels.fyi): 🥇 Citadel – £274,692 🥈 Wintermute – £274,382 🥉 Meta – £242,189 I posted late last year about how US companies (especially HFT / quant firms) were dominating UK compensation. Back then, Wintermute (UK founded) weren’t even in the top 10. Now they’ve jumped to #2, ahead of HRT, Jane Street, Meta and other huge names. Every company in the top 10 is now averaging £200K+ total comp for engineering roles. That would have been unthinkable for London just a few years ago. For founders: if you want to attract top engineering talent, this is your benchmark. As an aside, if you compare the London top 10 with the San Francisco top 10 you see a completely different type of company. SF is tech dominated. UK is still very much finance dominated. I'd love to see more UK founded tech companies in this top list!

378

3 Comments

Who doesn't like sharing good news... Lets hope EU–INC is in the bag in the coming months and we get back to building!!!  💰 BIG ROUNDS UK-based Wayve is set to receive $500m from Nvidia as part of its wave of investments in UK startups (see more below). UK-based Nothing raised $200m at a $1.3bn valuation led by Tiger Global, officially becoming a unicorn. See more here. German Terra One raised €150m from asset manager Aviva Investors to finance its grid-scale battery storage facilities. See more here. UK-based Omnea raised a $50 million Series B funding led by Insight Partners and Khosla Ventures. See more here. French Genomines raised $45m to ‘farm’ metal from plants. The round was led by Engine Ventures and Forbion BioEconomy. See more here. French Defacto raised €16m led by Citi Ventures and La Maison to increase its lending volume. See more here. Irish / English Nory, the AI-native restaurant management platform, raised a $37m Series B led by Kinnevik. See more here. UK-based Conduct raised a $12m Seed led by Creandum to roll outs it agents for enterprises. See more here.  💸 SMALLER BUT INTERESTING ROUNDS Spanish space-tech Kreios Space secured €8 million led by the NATO Innovation Fund and Berlin-based JOIN Capital. See more here. Spanish Lightbase, the AI-powered developer tools platform, raised a €2.2m pre-seed led by Picus Capital. See more here. Belgian Eagl raised €825k from angels to accelerate the development of its AI-native financial agentic platform. See more here.

6

“Don’t optimise early” is *right* for software But “don’t optimise ever”? Only if you want bigger bills and more expensive power I’m looking at 5 - controversial - ways software engineering could do better this week. Number 1 is “optimisation”. The maxim most people know is “Don’t optimise early!” And that’s right. Otherwise you’ll waste time and money almost all of the time. But “don’t optimise EVER”? A big mistake. These days, many people feel that it’s cheaper, easier, quicker (pick any you want) to just throw more cloud resources at a problem. And some application spaces, like LLM construction. often rely directly on pure brute force. (Honourable mention to all teams developing more cost-conscious approaches though!) Because - and this isn’t just about AI and LLMs - hugely increasing cloud usage and forecast usage is… ⚠️ driving up electricity prices [plus factors too, of course] ⚠️ creating water scarcity ⚠️ costing more money! What’s your take - is optimisation a thing of the past, or should it be growing in importance?

17

14 Comments

Wondering how to get your job application noticed in the crowded UK dev market? I've been chatting with a lot of software developers recently, some early in their careers, others with years of experience, and one thing keeps coming up: "How do I actually stand out?" The truth is, the UK dev job market is tough right now. But I’ve seen what works (and what doesn’t), and I wanted to share a few tips that have helped candidates land interviews, and offers. Here’s what I’d recommend if you’re applying right now: 1. Customise, customise, customise - I can’t stress this enough: tailor your CV and cover letter for every role. Show how your experience matches their needs. Make it super easy for someone to see why you're a great fit at a glance. 2. Build (and show) cool stuff - Your GitHub or personal site can speak louder than your CV. Share real projects, ideally something beyond a to-do list app. If you've used a company’s API or built something relevant to them? Shout about it! 3. Let your passion show - Make it clear what kind of work excites you, whether that’s fintech, AI, or clean architecture. Add a bit of personality to your LinkedIn or portfolio. It helps you connect with the right teams. 5. Network is your net-worth - Go to meet-ups, tech events, comment on posts, send friendly DMs. A lot of roles never get posted online. The more people who know what you’re looking for, the more chances you’ll get. 6. Stay sharp with in-demand skills - Keep an eye on what’s hot in the UK, Java, JavaScript, C#, and cloud stuff are still in demand. Even just having a recent course or project to show you’re staying current can help. 7. Don’t get discouraged - You’ll hear nothing back from some roles. That’s normal. If a job feels right but you haven’t heard back in a couple of weeks, follow up! It shows you're proactive, not pushy. 8. Make your online presence count - Your LinkedIn and GitHub should clearly show what you're about, your skills, interests, and what you’re aiming for. This is often the first thing someone sees before they even open your CV. - Final thought: If you’re applying right now, especially as a junior, just know it’s normal to feel stuck sometimes. The first job is often the hardest to get, but once you're in, everything gets easier. Keep going, keep building, keep learning. And if we’re connected, don’t hesitate to reach out. Always happy to offer a bit of advice or point you in the right direction. #SoftwareEngineering #TechCareers #UKJobs #DevCommunity #JobSearchTips #CareerAdvice #RecruiterLife #SoftwareDeveloper #HiringTechTalent

20

14 Comments

Companies ask for a sheep with 5 legs, but decline a candidate because it has no wings 🙄 Last week, one of my developers had an interview. A beautiful frontend role asking for React, Typescript and Next.js. Of course, we introduced a strong profile that matched the techniques. There was a cultural fit as well, salary checked out and he lived just 10 minutes away by bike. Done deal, right? Rejected! Why? “Too little backend and data management experience.” But, HUH? This was a frontend vacancy. So how is it possible that someone gets judged on something that wasn’t asked for or something they’re not specialised in? You don’t judge an elephant on how it climbs a tree either. But this happens way more often than you’d think! Companies say they’re looking for one thing, but judge based on something completely different. This is often a major recruitment problem (and red flag) An internal policy that’s unclear, even if it seems clear at first and they realise it too late. I see this especially in small to mid-sized companies, where a single hire has a much bigger impact than in larger organisations. And yet, these are the exact companies where time gets wasted the most. Not because they can’t choose, but because they’re afraid to. They want certainty, they want the sheep that can fly and end up with nothing. I’ve lost count of the number of developers who called me, completely baffled by what just happened. That’s why my advice to companies is: map out your needs, make sure everyone’s on the same page and go through your own process as if you were the candidate. If your own process would frustrate you as a candidate... time to change 😉

37

19 Comments

"So how do you see the market currently?" This has to be the most common question I get asked, and I love looking back at the data of the placements we have made over the years. Here's one example of what has really changed... The true rise of 'Product Engineers' and 'Founding Engineers'. This used to be the one superstar on the team, or as the Dutch would say, "the sheep with 5 legs". But for the roles we now recruit for, this is the new norm. Every business now wants product-minded engineers who can connect feature development to business value. This isn't about engineers becoming Product Managers, but it is still the constant drive for efficiency and doing more with less. In recruiting terms, we now have twice as many interviews as we did 5 years ago to reach the same outcome. That's a huge shift! It must be exhausting interviewing out there, but if I could offer anything to Engineers, it's always showcase what you actually built and why that drove business value, being a technology subject-matter expert isn't enough anymore.

53

2 Comments

It wasn’t the market. It was the brief. Thirteen weeks. No hires. Just tumbleweed. 🌾 Everyone blamed the market. But the real issue was hiding in the brief. A London fintech, building a real-time payments platform on Golang, Kubernetes and AWS, came to us after 13 weeks of silence. Senior Backend Engineer. Great stack. Dead pipeline. 💀 Before we touched the search, we ran our Recruitment Insight Audit (RIA). Xist4’s x-ray that tests how hire-ready a role really is. The scan showed: • Salary around 20% below the median for senior Go engineers. • Four interview stages with inconsistent criteria. • Only job ads and no Go or fintech community outreach. • Weak brand signal where engineers couldn’t see the impact behind the tech. • Unclear EVP where the “why join” story didn’t land beyond comp. Here’s what we recommended: • Reset salary to a competitive range. • Strengthened the engineering story to link tech with mission and impact. 💬 • Clarified the EVP to highlight career growth, scale, and purpose beyond the stack. • Consolidated interviews into two structured blocks with 48-hour feedback. ⏱️ • Switched to a search-led strategy targeting Go and distributed-systems engineers across London and EU time zones. 🌍 Within five weeks: consistent interest, four strong interviews, one standout accepted by week six. 🎯 The RIA didn’t fill the role. It revealed why it wasn’t filling and how to fix it fast. If you’re blaming the market, maybe your role isn’t ready. Comment RIA, and I’ll send the 10-point checklist we use before any search goes live. #Recruitment #Fintech #RecruitmentInsights #TechRecruitment #LondonRecruitment

15

1 Comment

Insight / Market Data UK & DACH Tech hiring is officially back — but it looks very different. Funding rounds are returning 💰 Teams are scaling again ⚙️ …but candidate behaviour has changed completely. Here’s what we’re seeing: 📈 72% of engineers now expect hybrid or remote as standard 🕐 Average time-to-hire has grown to 38 days 💬 47% of candidates decline offers due to slow processes 💶 Salary inflation is levelling off, but expectations aren’t ��� Cross-border hires (UK ↔ Germany) are up 40% YoY The companies that are winning? They’re decisive, flexible, and treat hiring as a business priority — not a reaction.

9

The most interesting shift in Rust hiring right now isn’t just more demand - it’s different demand. A year ago, most conversations were about whether teams should use Rust at all. Today, the question is usually: how do we scale with Rust in production? That’s changing what founders look for in engineers. I’m seeing fewer “can you write Rust?” searches, and far more roles where Rust is assumed and the real bar is: can you design systems, own trade-offs, and operate at scale? At the same time, startups are moving faster than big companies, while big companies are getting more serious. Startups want conviction from day one. Large orgs want proof Rust reduces risk in critical systems. The outcome is the same for both: the bar is rising, but the work is getting far more interesting. If you’re a Rust engineer, this is one of the best markets I’ve seen for depth over hype. If you’re a founder, this is the moment to get crystal clear on why you’re using Rust - not just that you are. Rust hiring isn’t just growing. It’s maturing. And that changes everything.

23

1 Comment