What 80Twenty does

80Twenty is a US-based, boutique Go-to-Market (GTM) staffing and recruitment agency founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Francisco, with additional offices in Los Angeles, San Jose, New York, Chicago, and Orange County. The firm specializes in placing Manager-through-C-Suite talent across sales, marketing, creative, and customer success functions, and has expanded specialty coverage into adjacent verticals including tech/developers, product, accounting & finance, HR, and admin/operations, as well as a dedicated AI & Data Talent Recruitment line.

The company's core technology is not a software platform; it is a people-powered service built on a proprietary candidate database of 400,000+ GTM professionals cultivated over 15 years, combined with structured behavioral interviewing and evidence-based screening processes. There is no public API, no disclosed proprietary software product, and no patents. Distribution is direct-to-employer via recruiter outreach, a website contact channel, and a candidate registration portal, supplemented by LinkedIn (275,000+ followers), SEO-optimized blog content, earned media (Forbes Top 250, ABC 7, Best of Staffing), and a strong review/reputation footprint (#1 Yelp and Google in three major markets).

Revenue is generated through two streams: contingency-based direct-hire placement fees (typically 20–35% of the candidate's first-year salary, with discounts for exclusive and volume engagements) and hourly bill-rate contract/temp staffing where the firm handles payroll, taxes, and insurance for W-2 contractors. The firm reports a 100-day replacement guarantee on permanent placements, a sub-4% backfill rate, a combined NPS of 78, and a 2x industry-average direct-hire fill rate. The business is privately held by its founders (CEO and owner Tarra Sharp; co-founder and CEO Annika Brytnse; General Manager Alp Onurlu) with no disclosed institutional funding, parent company, or acquisition activity.

Name

80Twenty

Legal name

80Twenty LLC

Website

https://80twenty.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

80Twenty is a US-based boutique Go-to-Market staffing and recruitment agency, founded in 2011 and headquartered in San Francisco, placing Manager-through-C-Suite sales, marketing, creative, and customer success talent for growth-stage tech companies, consumer brands, agencies, and fintech firms across six US offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Executive Search Services (561312), Temporary Help Services (561320)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Clerical & Customer Support Temp Staffing (BPACACAC)

Keywords

• Recruitment services
• Go-to-market staffing
• Executive search
• Sales recruitment
• Marketing talent placement

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct Hire Placement Fees: Contingency-based placement fees calculated as a percentage of the candidate's annual salary. Clients pay only if they hire a candidate from 80Twenty. The company also offers discounted rates for exclusive search relationships and volume discounts for multiple concurrent hiring needs.
2. Contract/ Temporary Staffing Billing: Hourly bill rate model for temporary, contract, or contract-to-hire searches. The staffing agency handles payroll, taxes, and insurance for W-2 contractors placed at client sites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

80Twenty is a boutique go-to-market (GTM) staffing and recruitment agency that places sales, marketing, creative, and customer success professionals into growth-stage technology companies, consumer brands, and agencies across the U.S. Engagements are delivered through permanent placement, contract, temp-to-hire, executive search, and fractional leadership offerings, supported by a 100-day replacement guarantee.

Product overview

80Twenty is a boutique GTM (Go-to-Market) staffing and recruitment agency that operates as a unified service offering rather than a software platform. The company provides specialized recruitment services across sales, marketing, creative, and customer success functions, offering multiple engagement models including temporary talent staffing, temp-to-hire arrangements, direct hire placement, executive search, and fractional leadership solutions. Their core portfolio includes specialized talent placement services spanning marketing and growth, sales and business development, UX/UI/visual design, copywriting and content, tech and developer roles, product talent, accounting and finance, human resources, and administrative and operations positions. Additional services include AI and data talent recruitment and support for international companies establishing US subsidiaries. The company also provides candidate-facing web services including a job search portal and candidate registration platform. 80Twenty serves clients across multiple US markets including San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Orange County, San Jose, and nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Permanent Placement Full-time direct hire recruiting for sales, marketing, creative, and customer success roles at growth-stage tech companies, consumer brands, and agencies across the U.S.
• Contract Staffing Short- and long-term contract placement of go-to-market professionals to flexibly augment client teams without a permanent hire commitment.
• Temp-to-Hire Hybrid staffing engagement where candidates are placed on a temporary basis with the option to convert to permanent employment after an evaluation period.
• Executive Search Targeted senior-level and C-suite search practice focused on placing VP, C-level, and other senior go-to-market leaders such as CROs, CMOs, and VPs of Sales.
• Fractional Leadership Part-time executive placement service providing experienced go-to-market leaders on a fractional basis to support scaling or transitional needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2x industry average fill rate on Direct Hire searches
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CyberCoders: Tech and GTM recruitment firm placing sales, marketing, engineering, and operations talent into growth-stage and enterprise companies. Comparable mid-market tech focus with direct hire and executive search services.
• Vaco: Staffing and consulting firm providing contract, temp-to-hire, and direct hire across technology, finance, accounting, and sales/marketing. Overlapping GTM and back-office placement services with comparable mid-market enterprise focus.
• Betts Recruiting: Boutique recruitment firm specialising in marketing, sales, and customer success talent across growth-stage companies in the US. Direct peer with comparable GTM focus, mid-market client base, and contingency placement model.
• MarketPro: Marketing and digital talent recruitment agency placing marketing professionals on contract and direct hire basis. Comparable specialisation in marketing roles with mid-market enterprise clients.
• Sales Talent Agency: Specialised sales recruiting agency placing B2B sales professionals into tech and growth-stage companies across the US. Comparable focus on revenue-driving functions and contingency-based permanent placement economics.
• 24 Seven Talent: Creative, marketing, and digital talent staffing agency offering contract, temp-to-hire, and direct hire placements. Comparable specialisation in creative/marketing functions with multi-city US presence similar to 80Twenty's footprint.
• The Creative Group (Robert Half): Robert Half subsidiary placing marketing, creative, and digital professionals on contract and direct hire basis. Direct competitor in creative/marketing staffing with the backing of a large publicly traded parent.
• Aquent: Large staffing firm specialising in marketing, creative, and digital talent with temp, contract, and direct hire offerings. Overlapping service mix (creative/marketing staffing) with broader geographic reach and larger enterprise client base than 80Twenty.

Regional players

• Glocomms: Specialist recruitment firm placing sales, marketing, and technology professionals globally with strong presence in the US, UK, and EMEA. Comparable GTM placement focus but operates internationally rather than US-concentrated like 80Twenty.

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half International: Global publicly traded staffing leader providing temporary staffing, permanent placement, and consulting across finance, technology, marketing, legal, and administrative functions. Overlaps broadly with 80Twenty on contract staffing and executive search but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/80twenty
• Xx.com/80twentydigital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 80Twenty