What PurpleCV does

PurpleCV is a UK-based professional CV writing service founded in 2012 by Andrew Arkley and operated as Purple CV Limited (company number 08572690) from Kingston upon Thames. The core offering is bespoke CV writing — each document is drafted from scratch by UK-based specialist writers matched to the client's industry and career stage, with industry-specific keyword optimisation designed to pass ATS screening, a 100% satisfaction guarantee, free lifetime amendments, and a free personalised job-alerts service bundled with every order. Products span standalone CVs from £50, cover letters at £40, LinkedIn profile optimisation, a copy pack (physical delivery), an express 24-hour turnaround, and a tiered one-to-one career coaching menu (£60-£180 for 30-120 minute sessions covering interview prep, salary negotiation, job search strategy, career change and leadership coaching).

Name

PurpleCV

Legal name

Purple CV Limited

Website

https://purplecv.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PurpleCV is a UK-based, founder-led CV writing service (est. 2012) that produces bespoke, ATS-optimised CVs, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles from scratch, alongside career coaching and corporate outplacement, serving 150,000+ job seekers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston Upon Thames

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CV Writing Services: One-time purchase model for professional CV writing services. Prices start at £50 for basic CVs. Additional services include cover letters (£40), LinkedIn profiles, and copy packs. Includes free lifetime amendments and job alerts.
2. Career Coaching Services: One-on-one coaching sessions sold in time blocks: 30 min (£60), 60 min (£100), 90 min (£150), 120 min (£180). Includes career coaching, interview coaching, salary negotiation, job search, career discovery, career development, career change, and team leadership coaching.
3. Affiliate Programme: Commission-based programme where affiliates earn referral fees for customers who purchase through their unique affiliate links. Partners include business owners, blog writers, and individuals advertising CV writing services.
4. Corporate/B2B Partnerships: Bespoke and white-label solutions for outplacement support, business redundancy support, and affiliate schemes for organisational clients. Direct account management for business partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PurpleCV is a UK-based professional CV writing service that hand-writes bespoke CVs from scratch (no templates) for individual job seekers across all industries and career stages, from graduates to senior executives. Customers order online via purplecv.co.uk and are matched with a dedicated professional writer; CVs are ATS-optimised to pass automated employer screening. The company also offers add-on cover letters (£40), LinkedIn profile optimisation, one-to-one career coaching sessions (30–120 min), free lifetime amendments, and a free personalised job alerts service bundled with every CV order.

Product overview

PurpleCV is a UK-based professional CV writing service offering a portfolio of career-focused products and services. The core offering is bespoke CV writing, where professional writers create tailored documents from scratch without templates. The company provides complementary services including cover letter writing, LinkedIn profile optimisation, and career coaching sessions (30-120 minutes covering interview preparation, salary negotiation, career change, and leadership coaching). A free personalised job alerts service is bundled with every CV order. For enterprise clients, PurpleCV offers outplacement support, white-label solutions, and bespoke career services for organisations managing workforce transitions. The company also operates an affiliate programme for commission-based partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CV Writing Service Bespoke, ATS-optimised CV written from scratch (no templates) by a dedicated UK-based professional writer matched to the client's industry and career level. Prices start at £50 for early-career CVs, with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, free lifetime amendments, standard 2-day turnaround, and a free personalised job alerts service bundled with every order.
• Cover Letter Writing Tailored or speculative cover letter written by a PurpleCV professional writer to accompany a client's CV, priced at £40 as an add-on accessory.
• LinkedIn Profile Optimisation Creation and optimisation of a client's LinkedIn profile to complement their CV and strengthen their online professional presence, available as an add-on to CV orders.
• Career Coaching Services One-to-one coaching sessions covering career coaching, interview coaching, salary negotiation, job search strategy, career discovery, career development, career change, and team leadership coaching. Sessions are sold in 30-minute (£60), 60-minute (£100), 90-minute (£150), and 120-minute (£180) blocks.
• Outplacement Support Services Bespoke and white-label CV, cover letter, and LinkedIn services for corporate clients providing outplacement and redundancy support to employees, with dedicated account management and tailored workflows for partner organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500% increase in LinkedIn profile views reported by customer
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Integration10 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The King's TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud partner and patron of The King's Trust. PurpleCV founder Andrew Arkley serves as a Volunteer Business Mentor. Regular CV writing workshops delivered for the Trust's Explore programme, sharing CV writing tips and guidance with young people.
• Engineers in Business Fellowship (EIBF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports EIBF's mission to inspire business innovation in UK engineering. For five consecutive years has rewarded competition winners with complimentary CV packages. Recently began sponsoring the £1000 Best Presentation award.
• DoorwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Doorway to empower disadvantaged young people in Warwickshire with skills and support to secure employment. PurpleCV shares expertise in CV writing and job applications to give young people the best chance at building a brighter future.
• Monkton Combe SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Monkton Combe School's mission to empower students in future careers. Provides dedicated CV and career guidance sessions for Year 12 students, helping them take first steps towards professional paths.
• A2DominioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides free CV packages for A2Dominion's Pathways Programme offering personalised employment support for residents. A2Dominion is a housing association for London and Southern England driven by social purpose.
• Aviatorjob.comcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBespoke CV review and creation service offered to candidates through Aviatorjob.com. Managing Director James Donald reports fantastic partnership experience with Andrew and the PurpleCV team.
• Outplacement & Career Transitioning SpecialistscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading outplacement and career development service partnered with PurpleCV for two years. PurpleCV has delivered seamless service for hundreds of employees, with impeccable feedback and integration into their service offering.
• Charity supporting electronics, electrical and energy industriescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted partner since 2019 assisting service users with CVs, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles. Consistently delivers high standard helping individuals in need after redundancy in the electrical and energy sector.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Resume.io: Templated online resume and cover letter builder popular internationally. Adjacent competitor targeting the same job-seeker entry price point as PurpleCV's basic CV package, but with a fully self-service product.
• Zety: Resume builder with content suggestions, ATS-friendly templates, and cover letter tools. Serves the same global job-seeker segment with a content-rich, software-led experience, complementing the broader CV-services competitive set.
• VisualCV: Online resume/CV builder with templated designs and ATS-friendly formats, plus premium writing add-ons. Competes in the same job-seeker segment as PurpleCV but with a self-serve, software-led model rather than bespoke human writing.
• Rezi: AI-first resume builder and CV optimisation tool using generative AI and ATS keyword targeting. Represents the technology-driven competitive threat to human CV writing services like PurpleCV, and a potential model for AI-augmented service delivery.

Direct peers

• TopResume: Large US-headquartered professional resume writing service with global reach, including ATS-optimised resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn makeovers. Closest international peer by service model and tiered-pricing structure, though at significantly greater scale.
• StandOut CV: UK-based professional CV writing service offering bespoke, consultant-written CVs, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles. Closest direct peer to PurpleCV in geography, product mix, and target customer (mid-to-senior UK job seekers).
• The CV Centre: UK CV writing and career services provider covering CVs, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and interview coaching. Competes head-to-head with PurpleCV on price, packages, and target segments in the UK D2C market.

Regional players

• TopCV: International CV writing and resume services brand with strong presence in Asia and emerging markets. Comparable business model to PurpleCV (human-written CVs, ATS optimisation) but primarily competes outside the UK.

Broad incumbents

• Indeed: Global job board that has expanded into resume/CV services, interview prep, and career coaching. Provides scale and SEO reach that dwarfs specialist CV writers, posing both a competitive threat and a potential partnership distribution channel.
• Reed: UK's largest recruitment and job board platform, which also offers CV writing services as part of a broader portfolio. Overlaps with PurpleCV in CV services but competes from a much wider hiring-marketplace position rather than specialising in writing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PurpleCVwriting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/purplecv

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 PurpleCV