What Haystack does

Haystack (legally Haystack App Limited) is a two-sided AI-powered marketplace that connects tech job seekers with employers hiring across engineering, data, DevOps, design, product, and architecture roles. The company was founded in 2020 in Newcastle upon Tyne, with co-founders Chris Bone (CEO), Robert Simmons (CTO), and Mike Davies (COO), and has since expanded to Manchester and into the US and EU markets. The platform serves over 130 employer customers and hosts more than 400,000 verified tech candidates, with marquee enterprise logos including American Express, AWS, Experian, Skyscanner, Lloyds Banking Group, Dunelm, Raytheon, and EPAM.

The core technology stack is a real-time event-driven marketplace built on TypeScript/Node, React, GraphQL, MongoDB, and AWS, with vector search and embeddings powering AI-driven matching that generates match scores and curated shortlists. Haystack differentiates through a reverse-hiring model (employers apply to candidates rather than vice versa), pre-verified and interview-ready candidates (claimed 80% shortlist rates), and operational metrics of under 24 hours to first interview, 21-day average time to hire, and a 5:1 match-to-hire ratio.

Haystack monetizes through two commercial models: a subscription product (Haystack Pro) invoiced annually based on forecasted hiring needs and scope of access, and a pay-per-hire model with a recruitment fee per placed candidate plus a 12-week replacement guarantee. Distribution is primarily digital — web platform and iOS/Android apps — supported by content marketing (Tech Uncovered podcast, 185+ resource articles, Developer Stories series) and SEO-optimized tech-stack hiring pages. The company is venture-backed, with a £1.5M seed round completed in August 2022 led by Mercia and the North East Venture Fund, and has not publicly disclosed revenue or valuation beyond the seed round.

Name

Haystack

Legal name

Haystack App Limited

Website

https://haystackapp.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Haystack is an AI-powered two-sided marketplace connecting 400,000+ verified tech job seekers with 130+ employers across the UK, US, and EU. It uses vector search and machine matching to deliver interview-ready candidates within 24 hours via subscription and pay-per-hire models.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tech Recruitment Platform

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Job Market Intelligence & Employer Networking Services (BPACAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Job Placement, Matching & Career Navigation Services (EDAAAOAL)

Keywords

• Tech recruitment platform
• AI talent matching
• Hiring marketplace
• Tech talent network
• Recruitment technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription (Haystack Pro): Subscription-based model where employers pay a Subscription Fee based on forecasted hiring needs, scope of access, and contract duration. Fees are invoiced in advance at the start of each term with flexible terms. Auto-renews unless 30 days notice given.
2. Pay Per Hire: Pay-per-hire model where a Recruitment Fee is payable for each candidate hired via the platform. Fee amount and structure agreed in writing prior to engagement. Invoiced following written confirmation of candidate offer acceptance. Includes replacement guarantee if candidate leaves within 12 weeks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Haystack is a tech recruitment marketplace that connects verified tech talent with employers through AI-powered matching. The platform operates two distinct sides — an employer hiring suite and a tech-talent job-discovery experience — offering both subscription and pay-per-hire pricing models alongside hands-on managed hiring.

Product overview

Haystack is a tech recruitment marketplace offering two commercial models (subscription-based Haystack Pro and pay-per-hire) through its core AI-powered platform. The platform connects verified tech talent with employers via an AI matching algorithm, and also offers specialized hiring pages for specific tech stacks (React, Python, Go, etc.) and hands-on hiring support as an add-on service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• For Employers

Quantifiable outcome

• 400,000+ verified tech candidates across the UK, US and EU
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Otta: London-based tech talent marketplace connecting candidates with startups and tech employers using curated matching. Directly comparable two-sided model, geographic overlap in the UK, and similar target audience of software engineers.
• Honeypot: Berlin-based tech talent marketplace with a "reverse hiring" model where candidates create profiles and companies apply to them — nearly identical conceptual approach to Haystack, with stronger EU presence.
• Hired (LHH): Tech-focused recruitment marketplace originally serving engineers and product talent across North America and Europe. Directly comparable marketplace model targeting the same candidate and employer segments.
• AngelList Talent: Startup-focused talent marketplace (rebranded as Wellfound) connecting tech candidates with venture-backed startups. Overlapping marketplace mechanics, employer base, and tech-candidate audience.
• Built In: US-based tech recruitment marketplace and employer branding platform connecting tech professionals with employers across major US tech hubs. Comparable candidate-employer marketplace with stronger US footprint.

Emerging players

• Dover: Early-stage startup focused on outbound tech recruiting tools with AI-driven candidate sourcing. Adjacent product overlap in AI-assisted tech hiring, though Dover is tooling-oriented rather than a true marketplace.

Broad incumbents

• LinkedIn Talent Solutions: Dominant incumbent in professional recruiting with Recruiter and Jobs products serving every employer category. Massive candidate supply gives it incumbent gravity that Haystack must differentiate against on quality and speed.
• Indeed: Largest global job board with significant tech hiring volume and pay-per-hire sponsored products. Broader horizontal scope but the primary competitor for employer tech-hiring budgets.
• ZipRecruiter: Public recruitment marketplace with AI-matching capabilities targeting SMB and mid-market employers. Comparable marketplace mechanics and pricing model, with far larger scale.
• Greenhouse: Established applicant tracking system with sourcing and CRM tools for tech hiring teams. Adjacent rather than direct — competes for the same employer budget on structured hiring workflow rather than marketplace matching.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wearehaystack
• Xx.com/wearehaystack
• Facebookfacebook.com/wearehaystack

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Haystack