Project

Seed Stage Foundation Model start-up

Ai & Machine Learning

Location

San Francisco

Project value

$120,000

Date completed

01 July 2025

Building a founding Engineering team (Seed-stage Foundation Model start-up) - HQ in San Francisco

Following a recent Seed funding round, the two co-founders needed to build out the founding team to accelerate model development and ship to 2 incoming customers. Streamlining the process was key with both founders initially spending over 50% of their time on hiring before engaging Insight.

Target was under 25 days from first contact to offer (per role)

Candidates screened ~40
CV shortlist of 20 submitted
15 candidates in process and interviews conducted
3 offers extended
Offer acceptance at 100%

Team composition by month 4:

2 research-focused ML engineers + 1 distributed systems engineer

3 Roles Filled in 25 days

100% offers accepted

CV:Interview = 1.5:1

Interview:Placement = 5:1

”

Working with Insight Recruitment was fantastic! They weren’t just helpful, they really took the time to explain everything clearly throughout the whole process.

It felt like a true collaboration, and their coaching tips were insightful. They definitely helped me feel prepared & confident going into the interviews & even guided me through the offer and negotiation stage.

I can’t recommend them enough!

Matt Smethurst

Principal Consultant

”

I have known & worked with Lovisa for many years now and can confidently say that she is my first port of call for all of my recruiting needs. Polite, professional & sincere, Lovisa has effectively filled positions for me on numerous occasions and often at short notice.

She has also been a key part of my own career, providing a selection of challenging and interesting roles as commissioning manager, most certainly all of which have contributed to my development. Lovisa has become a good friend over the years & I would proudly recommend her.

Lovisa Noren

Principal Recruitment Consultant

”

I can confidently say that Leah is a remarkable recruiter who not only makes promises but also delivers exceptional results. In my professional journey, she helped me secure two of my previous contracts. Her dedication, thoroughness, and commitment to finding the right opportunities are truly commendable.

Leah's ability to match candidates with fitting roles is exceptional, and her professionalism makes the job-seeking process seamless and rewarding.

I highly recommend Leah to anyone seeking a proactive and reliable recruiter.

Leah Owen

Senior Recruitment Consultant

”

The quality of the CVs has been excellent. The candidates provided have had a strong match with the requested background and skill set, which has made the selection process much smoother and more efficient. I’ve been impressed with how well you align the candidates' experience with our needs.

I really appreciate the fast and straightforward process you follow. It’s efficient and effective. The steps you follow- first checking on our needs, then providing relevant CVs, followed by a feedback call, interviews, and final decisions has been seamless.

One thing I truly value is how quickly you respond to any requests. Your promptness in addressing our needs and getting back to us really stands out and makes working with you a pleasant experience. Keep up the great work!

Jess Baker

Recruitment Consultant

”

Working with Ellie was an exceptional experience from start to finish. Her attention to detail was impeccable, and she maintained the highest level of professionalism throughout the entire process. From the very first conversation regarding a job opening, Ellie demonstrated clear communication and an in-depth understanding of both our needs and the requirements of the role.

What stood out most was her efficiency and commitment to delivering results. Remarkably, from the initial discussion to successfully closing the position, the entire process took less than four hours. This included coordinating and scheduling an nterview with the candidate, ensuring that all parties were aligned and informed.

Ellie’s polite and proactive approach made what could have been a complex hiring process feel seamless and straightforward. Her ability to match the right candidate with the right opportunity in such a short timeframe was nothing short of impressive.

Ellie Harris

Recruitment Consultant

”

I am delighted to provide my sincerest recommendation for Devon. Her extraordinary dedication and work ethic shone through at all times. Devon is always available, even outside of work hours, offering to speak on the phone late in the evenings to accommodate with my working hours.

She provides detailed information about the Data Centre companies she works with and goes above & beyond in providing valuable advice for negotiating terms and salary, whilst always ensuring to maintain constant communication.

Her attention and dedication have been crucial in keeping me focused on this job opportunity, and I am very grateful for her professionalism and unwavering support.

Devon Haskew-Rowson

Recruitment Consultant

”

Insight are an excellent recruiting partner, one of the best we've worked with; thorough in developing an understanding of our needs, responsive to feedback on profiles, and timely in following up on candidates and action items.

They internalized our extensive technical requirements to successfully source and screen robotics candidates. I would be happy to work with Insight in future and can highly recommend.