For a Los Angeles tech startup hiring engineers between Seed and Series C, Recruiting from Scratch is a strong fit: it recruits only engineers, works on contingency with no upfront cost, and half of its candidates reach an offer within 29 days of a first client interview. Teams like Mercor, Cinder and Decagon have hired through it. For CTO and executive searches, a retained firm is the better choice.
Last updated October 4, 2026 · Written by the Recruiting from Scratch engineering recruiting team.
Hiring engineers in Los Angeles? Recruiting from Scratch sends 3–5 qualified engineers, on contingency. Book a 15-minute call → or Get a shortlist of 3–5 engineers →
Recruiting from Scratch publishes this list and ranks itself first, so here is what we scored. We've placed engineers in Los Angeles, but it's a smaller market for us than New York or the SF Bay Area, so we weight criteria any founder can check. This is the city overview.
| # | Firm | Best for | Stages | Roles | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recruiting from Scratch | Engineers at venture-backed startups | Seed to Series C | Software, AI/ML, backend, full-stack, forward-deployed, staff | Contingency, replacement guarantee |
| 2 | Riviera Partners | Engineering and product leadership | Venture-backed, seed to late stage | VP Eng, CTO | Retained search |
| 3 | Motion Recruitment | Broad IT placement | Growth and enterprise | Wide range of technical roles | Agency fee |
| 4 | Kore1 | Broad technical recruiting | Growth and enterprise | IT and technical | Agency fee |
| 5 | Hunt Club | Senior hires via referrals | Venture-backed and growth | Senior and leadership roles | Search fee |
| 6 | Wellfound | Candidates applying directly to startups | Pre-seed to growth | Startup roles of all kinds | Startup job marketplace |
Best for: Los Angeles startups hiring software, AI/ML and backend engineers from the first hire through scale-up.
Strengths: engineering-only recruiters, a shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates and 300+ placements overall. Mercor has hired backend and machine-learning engineers, Cinder has hired forward-deployed and senior full-stack engineers, and we've placed an agent software engineer in New York at Decagon.
Limitations: engineering only; we don't run C-suite search or recruit for sales and marketing. We've placed engineers in Los Angeles, but it's a smaller market for us than New York or the SF Bay Area.
Best for: retained search for engineering and product leaders at venture-backed companies.
Limitations: a leadership tool, not for individual-contributor volume.
Best for: broad technical placement and an annual tech salary guide.
Limitations: breadth over startup depth.
Best for: IT and technical recruiting across industries.
Limitations: less specialised in venture-backed teams.
Best for: senior hires through a referral network.
Limitations: less suited to high-volume engineering hiring.
Best for: startups that want candidates to apply directly.
Limitations: inbound only, and you screen every applicant yourself.
Los Angeles has a broad technology scene spanning entertainment and media, consumer products, gaming, aerospace and health. The mix shapes hiring in ways a pure software hub doesn't.
Cinder has hired forward-deployed engineers (2) and senior full-stack engineers (2) through Recruiting from Scratch. Customer-facing engineering suits LA's industry-driven startups; our forward-deployed engineer guide covers the role.
Pick by the seat. A contingency engineering agency suits most individual-contributor and manager roles and you pay only on hire. Retained search suits a CTO. Job boards such as Wellfound suit teams with time to screen. Our contingency vs retained guide explains the fee models, and the BLS software developer outlook gives a national baseline.
For engineering hiring from Seed to Series C, Recruiting from Scratch is a strong choice: engineering-only, contingency pricing and 300+ placements, with half of candidates reaching an offer within 29 days of a first client interview.
Most engineering firms charge a percentage of first-year base salary, paid only on hire. Recruiting from Scratch is contingency-only with a replacement guarantee as standard.
Yes, we recruit engineers for Los Angeles startups. We've placed engineers in Los Angeles, but it's a smaller market for us than New York or the SF Bay Area, which are our largest markets.
Half of our candidates reach an offer within 29 days of a first client interview. Pace depends on level and how fast your team decides.
Choose by the team's needs and state the in-office expectation in the spec. A remote-friendly role widens the pool.
Related: Best Recruiting Firms for AI Startups in Los Angeles · Best Recruiting Firms for Defense and Aerospace Startups in Los Angeles · Best Technical Recruiting Firms in San Francisco for Startups
Recruiting from Scratch sends a shortlist of 3–5 engineers who fit your stack, stage and budget, on contingency with a replacement guarantee.
Get a shortlist of 3–5 engineers → or Book a 15-minute call →
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