Founding, AI and leadership hires for VC-backed startups

Engineering hires
that last.

Backend, infrastructure, AI and ML engineers, and the leaders who run them. For VC-backed startups from New York to San Francisco and Austin.

Book a 15-min callSee our results

Led by founder Matt Geppert, hiring engineers for startups since 2011.

15 yearsHiring engineers for startupsSeed through Series E
2 to 3 weeksTo your first shortlistTypical search
3 to 6 weeksFrom search start to hireTypical search
We hire for startups backed bySequoiaAndreessen HorowitzBenchmarkGeneral CatalystBessemer Venture Partners
What we hire

The hires that define your technical foundation.

From your first engineer to the person who leads them all. Pre-seed through Series E and beyond.

SectorsAI-native softwareFintechHealthcareInsuranceDefense and manufacturingAutonomy and roboticsClimate
Applied AI engineersML engineersForward deployed engineersLLM and agent systemsAI infrastructure

AI and machine learning

Applied AI, ML and forward deployed engineers who ship to production, not notebooks.

Backend and infrastructure

Platform, distributed systems, DevOps and SRE.

Founding engineers

Owners who build whole systems from zero.

Engineering leadership

The people who build the team, not just the code.

Co-foundersLeads on a path to CTOCTOsVPs of EngineeringHeads of EngineeringEngineering Managers
Results

Proof, not promises.

Series B · Digital health · $60M raisedFirst data engineering leader
28 dayskickoff to signed offer, after 3 months searching alone
5 engineersteam built from scratch
99.8%SLA achieved
90%less manual data work
Read the full story
The approachReframed the brief from a data engineering manager to a builder who could create the infrastructure from zero, then grow into leadership.Targeted engineers at recently acquired healthtech companies, looking for their next challenge.Shortlisted 3 people fluent in both healthcare data standards and modern data stacks.
Six months laterA 5-engineer team built from scratch.42 critical data feeds automated at a 99.8% SLA.90% less manual data handling.
Every shortlist
3 to 5candidates, not 30. Each vetted against your stage, stack and team.

Every profile felt hand-picked, not spray-and-pray.

Chief of Staff, Series A healthtech, NYC
Early stage · AI infrastructure · $6.3M raisedPrincipal AI engineer
34 dayskickoff to signed offer, after 4 months searching alone
Full roadmapowns AI and ML end to end
12+ monthsand still in role
CEO advisortrusted technical voice
Read the full story
The approachReality-checked the brief: compete on equity, scope and impact, not big-tech salary.Looked for senior and staff engineers who had shipped production ML at startups and wanted principal-level ownership.Coached both sides through the equity and salary trade-offs to close.
A year laterOwns the full AI and ML roadmap.Built the core infrastructure behind the company's expansion.A trusted technical advisor to the CEO.

Recent placements

Tap any role to see the company behind it
Founding Technical Lead, path to CTOAI for capital markets
StageSeed
Raised$5M+
Process

First call to signed offer in 3 to 6 weeks.

  1. 01Day 1
    DiscoveryYour product, stack, team and goals.
  2. 02Week 1
    StrategyWe pressure-test the role and the profile.
  3. 03Weeks 1 to 2
    SourcingTargeted outreach to proven engineers.
  4. 04Weeks 2 to 3
    Shortlist3 to 5 people, with our honest view.
  5. 05Weeks 3 to 6
    Offer and closeWe stay with you through onboarding.
Matt understood the challenge immediately and found someone with both skill sets. That's incredibly rare.
CTO, Series B healthtech
"Only engineers who could genuinely build at our stage. No wasted interviews."
CTO, seed-stage healthtech
"Trustworthy and straightforward. Results without wasted time."
General Manager, Series A fintech
Matt Geppert, founder of Open Select
Matt GeppertFounder, since 2011
Why Open Select exists

Most recruiters optimize for speed. I optimize for the hire you're still happy with two years later.

I've recruited engineers for startups since 2011. By the end of our first call I usually already have people in mind, because I've spent years talking to engineers long before your role existed.

  • 01You deal with me. No account managers. No handoffs.
  • 02Straight answers. On candidates, comp and your process, even when it's not what you want to hear.
  • 03I build with AI every day. When an engineer explains their work, I can follow it.
Email MattLinkedIn
Field notes

What we're seeing in the market.

More on LinkedIn
Hiring processWe lost two great engineers to faster offers, not better ones.Strong engineers get offers in days now. Your process is a preview of your company.Leadership hiringWhy most VP of Engineering candidates fail one test.At this level, founders want the person who built the system, not the one who bought it.AI teamsNew models change budgets. Budgets change hiring plans.Whoever wins the model war, someone still has to build the thing.
Hiring now

Roles we're working on.

See all open roles
Leadership
VP of Platform EngineeringAgentic AI for banking
San Francisco · On-siteEngineering
Vehicle Software EngineerDefense technology
San Francisco · HybridRobotics
Software Engineer, Autonomous SystemsAutonomous vehicle technology
San Francisco Bay Area · Hybrid

Let's build your team.

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