Bearhug Recruiting

What Bearhug Recruiting does

Bearhug Recruiting is a boutique executive search firm founded in 2018 by Kraig Ward, headquartered in San Rafael, California, with a second regional headquarters in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The firm specializes in placing senior GTM, commercial, product, finance, operations, and C-level leaders into founder-led companies at critical scale inflection points, with vertical focus on Human Performance Brands and Environmental & DeepTech startups. Bearhug supplements traditional retained search with AI-accelerated market mapping, a proprietary search portal providing 24/7 pipeline visibility, and a curated Bearhug Network of pre-vetted executives; it also offers a free AI-powered Position Brief GPT tool and a tiered service portfolio including 'Top of Funnel Talent' for volume hiring and 'The Master Platter' for white-glove senior placements.

The firm operates on a milestone-based billing model with a $10,000 refund guarantee if interview-worthy candidates are not presented within 21 days, and caps each Partner at three concurrent searches to preserve execution quality. Go-to-market is exclusively direct enterprise field sales via a structured 30-minute Hiring Diagnostic followed by a 60-minute Solutioning Session and bespoke proposal. Distribution is augmented by partnerships with venture capital and accelerator firms including PeakSpan Capital (core), Neotribe Ventures, WingVC, 500 Global, Plug and Play, Westwave, and Flashpoint Ventures. Documented operational metrics include a 50.7-day average time to fill (2.5x faster than industry benchmarks), a 3.7 submit-to-placement ratio, and a 97.6% unique candidate rate across 6,485 candidates personally recruited since inception. The legal entity is KMFW Inc., and leadership includes Kraig Ward (Founder & Managing Director) and Kris Ward (Managing Partner).

Name

Bearhug Recruiting

Legal name

KMFW Inc.

Website

https://BearhugRecruiting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bearhug Recruiting is a boutique executive search firm founded in 2018 by Kraig Ward, placing senior GTM and C-level leaders into founder-led companies at scale inflection points across Human Performance Brands and Environmental & DeepTech startups using AI-accelerated sourcing and milestone-based retainers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sales, Marketing & Customer Success Direct Hire (BPACAFAD)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Boutique recruiting firm
• Senior leadership placement
• Startup headhunting services
• Talent acquisition consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Executive Search Retainer / Milestone-Based Fees: Bearhug uses a milestone-based billing structure tied directly to outcomes. The first invoice covers engagement commencement. The second invoice is triggered only when the client moves forward with first interviews from the presented slate, typically 2-3 weeks after kickoff. The final invoice is due upon successful placement. If Bearhug fails to present interview-worthy candidates within 21 days of search commencement, the engagement fee is refunded. Volume incentives reward long-term partnership across multiple hires.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Bearhug Recruiting is a boutique executive search firm that places senior GTM leaders and C-suite executives into founder-led startups at critical scale inflection points. It sells two primary service tiers — Top of Funnel Talent (passive candidate sourcing and automated outreach for early-stage, higher-volume hiring) and The Master Platter (white-glove executive search for senior GTM and C-suite roles at well-funded startups) — billed via milestone-based outcome-tied fees with a 21-day refund guarantee. Complementary offerings include the Easy Button MSA multi-hire partnership, a free Position Brief GPT tool, and a Bearhug Network of pre-vetted executives.

Product overview

Bearhug Recruiting is a boutique executive search firm offering two primary service tiers: 'Top of Funnel Talent' for early-stage companies with budget-conscious, volume-based recruiting needs, and 'The Master Platter' as a comprehensive white-glove service for well-funded startups requiring senior C-suite and GTM leadership hires. The firm complements its core recruiting services with free AI-powered tools including the 'Free Position Brief GPT' for generating position briefs, educational resources like the '27 Search Mistakes Report' and 'Search Accelerator Workshop', a pre-vetted 'Bearhug Network' for 1-click executive introductions, and the 'Pathfinder Project' for career services. The portfolio also includes an 'Easy Button MSA' for long-term partnership arrangements across multiple hires.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Master Platter Bearhug's comprehensive white-glove executive search service that guarantees both clients and candidates have a world-class search experience with maximum risk reduction and guaranteed positive outcomes. Ideal for well-funded tech startups or growth-stage consumer brands with critical senior-level GTM or C-suite hiring needs.
• Top of Funnel Talent Targeted passive candidate sourcing and automated outreach campaigns designed to book pre-approved candidates directly to the Hiring Authority's calendar. Ideal for early-stage tech startups or consumer brands on a tight budget with critical, low-to-mid-level or higher-volume recruiting needs.
• Easy Button MSA Capital-efficient Master Services Agreement structure designed for continuity across multiple executive hires, offering ongoing partnership terms for companies with recurring recruiting needs.
• Free Position Brief GPT AI-powered tool that helps hiring managers create executive position briefs in under an hour by generating structured content from conversational input. Designed to help land a 10x executive and is offered as a free standalone tool.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97.6% unique candidate rate across 6,495 candidates since 2018 — no candidate appears on a second search
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• True Search: True Search is a boutique executive search firm focused on venture-backed technology companies, placing C-suite and senior leaders at startups and growth-stage firms. Directly comparable to Bearhug in target customer (funded startups), boutique service model, and tech/startup vertical focus.
• Riviera Partners: Riviera Partners is a search firm specializing in executive placements for technology companies, including engineering, product, and GTM leadership at venture-backed startups. Comparable to Bearhug in tech/startup vertical, senior leadership placements, and boutique engagement model.
• Cowen Partners: Cowen Partners is a boutique executive search firm placing C-suite, VP, and senior leaders across technology, SaaS, and consumer brands. Comparable to Bearhug in senior-level direct-hire placements, milestone-based retained search model, and growth-stage company focus.
• Glocap Search: Glocap Search is a boutique executive search firm focused on venture-backed and growth-stage companies across technology, digital media, and consumer sectors. Comparable to Bearhug in boutique structure, founder-led/startup clientele, and senior leadership placement focus.
• Frederickson Partners: Frederickson Partners is a boutique executive search firm focused on HR and People leadership placements at venture-backed and Fortune 500 companies. Comparable to Bearhug in boutique retained-search model, startup/VC clientele, and senior direct-hire focus.

Broad incumbents

• Heidrick & Struggles: Heidrick & Struggles is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm serving large public companies and PE-backed portfolio firms across all industries. Comparable to Bearhug in executive search core service but operates at much broader scale with dedicated tech and consumer practices.
• Spencer Stuart: Spencer Stuart is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep expertise in CEO, board, and senior leadership placements across industries including technology. Comparable to Bearhug in executive direct-hire focus, but at enterprise scale with significantly broader geographic and sector coverage.
• Korn Ferry: Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm with a major executive search practice serving Fortune 500 clients across all sectors. Comparable to Bearhug in executive search offering, but at vastly larger scale with broader portfolio including RPO and talent consulting.
• Egon Zehnder: Egon Zehnder is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong technology and consumer practice areas. Comparable to Bearhug in senior executive placement focus, but operates at much larger scale serving both startups and large public companies.

Emerging players

• IQTalent Partners: IQTalent Partners is a tech-enabled talent acquisition firm offering on-demand recruiting and executive search services to venture-backed startups and growth-stage companies. Comparable to Bearhug in tech/startup clientele and executive search offering, but positioned as a more technology-driven, scalable alternative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bearhugrecruit
• Facebookfacebook.com/bearhugrecruiting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bearhugrecruiting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Bearhug Recruiting