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Executive search · Silicon Valley Talent

The people you can't cold-email.

A specialized practice for early-stage founders and the funds behind them. We run bespoke search when you need to hire, and open a standing roster of Silicon Valley operators when you need experience instead of headcount.

Book a 30-minute introMeet the roster

How do you stand out?

Are you only talking to people in your own network? Are you waiting for the best talent to find your job posting and apply? It's time for a new strategy.

15,000+

Job postings for VC backed startups

2,500+

Companies competing for the best talent

US · EU · MENA

San Francisco - Amsterdam - Dubai

One — Bespoke recruiting

Compare the market - find your missing piece

Every search is run by a seasoned talent advisor. Refine your search, calibrate and GTM in under a week.

  • 01

    Executive search

    Confidential search for founding and C-level leadership. We map out the candidate pool, craft the message and set the pace from first outreach to closing your top candidate.

  • 02

    Top 1% engineers

    AI and Machine Learning engineers; Staff and principal engineers; Founding Engineers - We will help you find the top 1% that don't apply to job postings.

  • 03

    Early-stage team building

    Your first early hires help shape culture and attract talent and funding. Find the right person that will help your company grow.

  • 04

    Fractional head of talent

    An embedded talent lead on retainer, without adding permanent headcount.

  • 05

    Monthly retainers

    Monthly retainers for teams hiring continuously across several functions. When speed matters but quality is non negotiable.

  • 06

    Advanced AI teams

    Build your own advanced AI team from the ground up, with a focus on mission, culture and retention.

Two — Silicon Valley Leaders

A cast of operators, on call by the engagement.

Consultants, board members and advisors who have already built and scaled the iconic companies of Silicon Valley.

Illustrated portrait representing Confidential

Confidential

Embodied AI Research

Highlight their skills, background and relevant experience.

Advisory or LeadershipSan Francisco or Remote

Advisor profile

Confidential

  • Advanced Embodied AI & Robotic Manipulation: Deep expertise in developing learning-based frameworks for autonomous grasping, manipulation in cluttered environments, and physical AI
  • Open-Source Ecosystem & Software Engineering Leadership: Demonstrated ability to build scalable software platforms from scratch, including co-leading high-visibility open-source robotics initiatives and early production experience with computer vision infrastructure.
  • Sensing, Autonomy & Surgical Robotics: Rigorous foundational experience developing state-of-the-art algorithms, active perception, and sensing for autonomous systems
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Confidential

Deep Tech, AI & Systems - CTO

Technology executive, founder, and board advisor with experience taking highly complex products from early concept to real-world deployment. Brings a systems-level perspective across AI, software, hardware, product, operations, and organizational design—particularly where reliability, speed, and technical ambition all matter.

Consulting, Full time or Board MemberSF / Remote

Advisor profile

Confidential

  • Complex systems & autonomy — Advises on the design and delivery of intelligent, safety-critical, software-hardware systems, from AI architecture through testing, deployment, and operational readiness.
  • Scaling technical organizations — Supports leadership transitions, team design, operating cadence, and the cross-functional systems needed to grow without losing speed or technical quality.
  • Deep-tech product strategy — Helps founders and leadership teams turn technically ambitious ideas into clear product strategy, practical roadmaps, and focused execution.
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Confidential

AI Systems & Machine Learning

Technical leader working at the intersection of advanced AI models, large-scale machine-learning systems, and high-performance compute. Brings deep hands-on experience taking complex research capabilities from early experimentation through reliable, scalable deployment.

Full time or Advisory North America

Advisor profile

Confidential

  • 0-to-1 technical leadership — Helps technical founders and leadership teams build high-calibre AI organizations, make critical early architecture decisions, and turn research into durable capabilities.
  • Model performance & efficiency — Deep expertise in distributed training, inference optimization, model efficiency, multimodal systems, and reinforcement-learning workflows.
  • AI systems strategy — Advises on the infrastructure, architecture, and operating model required to develop and run sophisticated machine-learning products at scale.
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Confidential

Autonomous Systems & Applied AI Engineer

Machine-learning researcher specializing in the intelligence layer behind autonomous and real-world AI systems. Brings experience across perception, motion planning, learnable decision-making, simulation, and computer vision—helping teams move advanced AI from research into robust, deployable systems.

Full time or AdvisoryGlobal

Advisor profile

Confidential

  • Applied machine-learning research — Helps teams evaluate, develop, and operationalize modern ML approaches for real-world, high-performance applications.
  • Advises on perception, planning, decision-making, and the technical foundations needed for reliable autonomous products.
  • Research-to-product execution — Brings perspective across academic research and production engineering, helping organizations turn promising models into practical, scalable product capabilities.
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Confidential

CFO, Strategic Finance, Capital Markets & Board Advisor

Experienced finance executive and board advisor who helps ambitious technology and deep-tech companies build the financial discipline, capital strategy, and operating foundations needed for major growth moments. Brings senior leadership experience across fundraising, investor communications, strategic transactions, governance, and finance transformation.

Full time (EU) & AdvisoryEurope & US

Advisor profile

Confidential

  • Fundraising & capital strategy — Advises leadership teams on financing narratives, investor readiness, capital planning, and the financial strategy required to support rapid growth.
  • Transaction & public-market readiness — Brings experience supporting complex strategic transactions, strengthening governance, and building institutional-grade processes for companies preparing for their next stage.
  • Finance operating model — Helps companies develop scalable planning, reporting, treasury, accounting, and business-performance systems—using modern tools and automation where they create real leverage.
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Confidential

AI, Autonomy & Product Systems Advisor

Executive technology leader with deep experience building AI-powered products, autonomous systems, and complex software platforms from early concept through global-scale deployment. Brings a rare combination of hands-on engineering depth, product leadership, and experience building high-performing teams in fast-moving, technically demanding environments.

Full time or AdvisorySan Francisco or Remote

Advisor profile

Confidential

  • Autonomy & intelligent systems — Deep expertise across perception, decision-making, machine learning, embedded software, and the end-to-end systems required to bring intelligent physical products to market.
  • AI product strategy — Helps leadership teams translate emerging AI capabilities into differentiated products, clear technical roadmaps, and practical execution plans.
  • Technical organization building — Advises founders and executives on scaling engineering and AI teams, aligning product and platform priorities, and delivering complex systems under real-world constraints.
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Confidential

Robotics, Hardware & Autonomous Systems Advisor

Veteran hardware and systems engineering leader who has built frontier electro-mechanical platforms from 0-to-1 prototypes through production across pioneering EV, autonomous vehicle, and next-gen humanoid robotics programs.

Full time or AdvisorySan Francisco or Remote

Advisor profile

Confidential

  • 0-to-1 Rapid Prototyping: Led foundational mechanical design and prototype builds for world-first electric vehicles, high-altitude aircraft, and commercial autonomous fleets.
  • Robotics & Electro-Mechanical Systems: Deep technical mastery across full-stack hardware, high-voltage architectures, sensor integration, and dexterous robotic manipulation.
  • Engineering Leadership & Mentorship: Decades of experience guiding technical founders, structuring high-velocity hardware teams, and bridging university research into commercial production.
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One conversation

Tell us the seat. We'll build you the short list.

Thirty minutes, confidential, no deck. If we don't have access to the people you're after, we'll say so on the call.

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Tell us what you are looking for — bespoke search, a fractional operator, or something in between.

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