For a Series A startup hiring engineers, Recruiting from Scratch is the strongest fit: it recruits only engineers, works on contingency with no retainer or upfront cost, and half its candidates reach an offer within 29 days of their first interview. Teams like Mercor, Cinder and Decagon have hired through it. If you need a CTO or VP of Engineering instead, a retained firm such as Riviera Partners is the better choice.
Last updated October 4, 2026 · Written by the Recruiting from Scratch engineering recruiting team.
Turning a Series A into an engineering team? 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. Series A is the first time you need volume and quality together:
We rank ourselves first on volume and depth, and say below where others fit better.
| # | Firm | Best for | Stages | Roles | Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recruiting from Scratch | Scaling the first engineering team | Seed–Series C | Software, AI/ML, forward-deployed, staff | Contingency, replacement guarantee |
| 2 | Dover | Founders running their own process | Pre-seed–Series A | Any role you source | Software plus optional services |
| 3 | Hunt Club | Senior and leadership hires via referrals | Venture-backed and growth | Senior and executive | Search fee |
| 4 | Candidate Labs | First go-to-market hires | Series A and later | Sales and GTM | Search fee |
| 5 | Kore1 | Broad technical recruiting | Growth and enterprise | IT and technical | Agency fee |
| 6 | Toptal | Short-term contract engineers | Any | Freelance and contract | Marketplace (hourly or project-based) |
Best for: Series A startups that just raised and need to turn the round into an engineering team.
Strengths: a shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates, 300+ placements and a 2M+ candidate network. We've placed forward-deployed engineers at Cinder and an agent software engineer in New York at Decagon.
Limitations: engineering only. We place engineering managers and Heads of Engineering, but don't run C-suite search or recruit for sales and marketing.
Best for: a founder or first recruiter who wants to run the process. Limitations: you still do the selling and screening.
Best for: senior and leadership searches via referrals. Limitations: not built for steady engineering volume.
Best for: go-to-market and sales hiring. Limitations: pair it with an engineering specialist.
Best for: broad IT and technical recruiting. Limitations: less startup-engineering specialization.
Best for: short-term contract engineers. Limitations: not for a permanent team.
The round closes and the board expects visible progress. A sequence that holds up:
Series A plans commonly call for somewhere between five and fifteen engineering hires in the year after the round. Our Series A recruiter guide covers the sourcing side, and the 10-to-50 playbook covers what comes next.
Ask each agency four questions: Is there a retainer? Who does the sourcing? What is the guarantee if a hire leaves early? Will we get 3–5 vetted candidates or a long list? If you plan a CTO search too, a retained firm is the usual route; a Head of Engineering search can run on contingency alongside the team. Our note on contingency vs retained explains why.
For engineering, Recruiting from Scratch: contingency pricing and 300+ placements, with half of candidates reaching an offer within 29 days of a first interview.
Most engineering firms charge contingency: a percentage of first-year base salary, paid only on hire. Retained firms charge part of the fee upfront.
When hiring is continuous across several teams. Until then, a firm is more flexible and you avoid a fixed cost.
Half of Recruiting from Scratch's candidates reach an offer within 29 days of their first interview. Founder feedback speed is the biggest lever.
Seniors first. They set standards and mentor later hires.
Related: Best Recruiting Firms for Seed-Stage Startups · Best Recruiting Firms for Series A Startups in San Francisco · Best Recruiting Firms for Series A Startups in New York
Recruiting from Scratch sends a shortlist of 3–5 engineers who fit your stack and budget, on contingency with a replacement guarantee.
Get a shortlist of 3–5 engineers → or Book a 15-minute call →
Looking for a role at a Series A startup instead? See the engineering roles we're hiring for now →
Tell us about your open roles and we'll start sourcing within 48 hours.
