Digitalent
Digitalent is a UK-based specialist recruitment firm exclusively focused on AI and Machine Learning talent, providing executive search, permanent and contract placement, advisory, and career coaching services to VC-backed startups and high-growth companies across the US, UK, and Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Digitalent does
Digitalent is a specialist recruitment firm exclusively focused on AI and Machine Learning talent, founded and led by Chris Morrow, a recruiter with 20+ years of executive search experience. The company partners with Founders, CTOs, and engineering leaders at VC-backed startups and high-growth companies to identify, assess, and close AI/ML hires across the full seniority spectrum, from founding engineers through VP and C-level leadership. Operations span three offices — the UK (Manchester regional office, with the registered head office in Southport), the US (Miami), and Australia (Melbourne) — enabling regional field sales coverage and pan-time-zone client engagement. The firm distinguishes itself from generalist recruiters by maintaining AI/ML as its sole vertical focus, building domain depth that generalist agencies cannot replicate in a scarce-talent market.
The service portfolio spans Executive Search (retained and contingent mandates for AI/ML leadership), Permanent Recruitment (full-time placements), and Contract Recruitment (project-based and interim AI/ML staffing). Digitalent operates a proprietary video interview platform called Synergy, which conducts pre-recorded technical interviews on behalf of hiring clients with time-stamped navigation; the platform reportedly saves up to 70% of time spent on initial interviews. Two newer offerings extend the firm beyond traditional placements: Career Catalyst, a three-tier candidate-facing coaching programme priced at £1,495 to £3,995 per package, and AI Readiness Advisory, a 4–6 week structured consulting engagement co-delivered with partner Lumo that produces a 90-day AI transformation plan. The firm deploys AI tooling internally across its workflow, including generative AI for job description creation, NLP-based resume screening, AI-coordinated interview scheduling, and recommendation logic matching candidates to roles.
Digitalent's revenue is generated primarily via placement fees tied to successful candidates, supplemented by coaching packages, contract management mark-ups, and advisory retainers. Demand generation relies on a content-led model anchored by a regularly published blog, two podcasts (Humans of Tech and Humans of Creative), and the founder's earned media profile, including a CNN International appearance discussing AI's impact on graduates. Disclosed performance metrics include a 92% fill rate across all retained and contingent mandates, a current NPS of 96, and a placement footprint extending across more than 50 countries. Client logos span VC-backed startups (Recurve, Betterleap, Upflowy, Sympli, Virtually Testing) alongside enterprise names (Aesop); named case studies reference a 36% time-to-hire reduction and a doubling of underrepresented candidate applications via AI-optimised processes.
Digitalent firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Digitalent
- Legal name
- Digitalent Recruitment Limited
- Website
- https://digitalent.agency
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Digitalent is a UK-based specialist recruitment firm exclusively focused on AI and Machine Learning talent, providing executive search, permanent and contract placement, advisory, and career coaching services to VC-backed startups and high-growth companies across the US, UK, and Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Digitalent industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search and Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB)
Keywords
Where Digitalent is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Digitalent business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Executive Search (Retained & Contingent): Retained and contingent search mandates for VP, Head of, and C-level AI/ML leadership roles across US, UK, and Australia. The company charges placement fees tied to successful candidate placement, typical of executive search firms.
- Permanent Recruitment: Full-time placement fees for AI and ML teams, from founding engineers to senior individual contributors. Revenue is earned on successful placement, typically as a percentage of the placed candidate's annual salary.
- Contract Recruitment: Placement of contract and interim AI/ML specialists for project-based or scaling needs. The company handles contractor management, compliance, timesheets, and payroll, charging for the placement and ongoing management services.
- AI Readiness Advisory: A structured 4-6 week advisory engagement delivered jointly with partner Lumo. Provides board-level AI readiness assessment across people, process, culture, and data; use case prioritisation; and a 90-day transformation plan. Delivered as a paid consulting engagement.
- Career Catalyst Coaching: Career coaching programme for AI, ML, and Data professionals guided by Chris Morrow. Three tiers offered: Core (£1,495), Elite (£2,495), and Executive Concierge (£3,995). Revenue is earned directly from candidates on a per-package basis.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Career Catalyst Core – Full 3-phase career coaching framework with two follow-up coaching check-ins |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Career Catalyst Elite – Core package plus tools, templates, curated recruiter list, and async support |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Career Catalyst Executive Concierge – White-glove experience with done-for-you brand assets, direct recruiter outreach, and ongoing access to Chris Morrow |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Digitalent product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Digitalent is a specialist AI and Machine Learning recruitment agency placing executive, permanent, and contract AI/ML talent for VC-backed startups and high-growth companies across the US, UK, and Australia. The firm supplements its search mandates with the proprietary Synergy pre-recorded video interview service, an AI Readiness Advisory co-delivered with Lumo, and a Career Catalyst coaching programme for individual AI/ML professionals. Revenue is generated through placement fees on successful hires, consulting fees from advisory engagements, and per-package coaching fees.
Product overview
Digitalent is a specialist AI and Machine Learning executive recruitment firm operating as a services-based offering, not a software platform. The portfolio spans five integrated services: Executive Search for leadership placements, Permanent Recruitment for full-time hires, Contract Recruitment for project-based staffing, Synergy Package for pre-recorded technical video interviews, and Career Catalyst for coaching AI/ML professionals. The AI Readiness Advisory (delivered in partnership with Lumo) extends the offering into organisational transformation consulting. Together, these services address the full talent lifecycle from workforce strategy through to candidate placement and career development for AI/ML professionals across the US, UK, and Australia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Executive Search Retained and contingent specialist search for AI/ML leadership roles including VP, Head of, and C-level positions, operating across the US, UK, and Australia for VC-backed startups and high-growth companies.
- Permanent Recruitment Full-time hiring service for AI and ML teams, placing candidates from founding engineers up through senior individual contributors for VC-backed and high-growth clients.
- Contract Recruitment Contract and interim staffing solution placing AI and ML specialists for project-based needs, covering roles from ML Engineers to AI Solutions Architects with contractor management, compliance, timesheets, and payroll handled by Digitalent.
- Synergy Package Pre-recorded technical interview service enabling clients to assess AI/ML candidates on their own schedule, with Digitalent coordinating interviews, recording time-stamped responses, and delivering showcase packages that save up to 70% of initial interview time.
- Career Catalyst Career coaching programme for AI, ML and Data professionals, led by founder Chris Morrow, offering CV redesign, LinkedIn optimisation, interview preparation, recruiter outreach templates, and a structured three-phase framework (Precision Positioning, Influence Engineering, Opportunity Engine) delivered in three paid tiers.
- AI Readiness Advisory 4-6 week organisational AI readiness assessment delivered jointly with partner Lumo, covering strategy, data, people, processes, and culture, output as a 90-day transformation plan with board-level reporting and use case prioritisation.
Quantifiable outcome
- 92% fill rate across all retained and contingent mandates
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Digitalent
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Digitalent technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature1 record
Digitalent partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LumocoreDigitalent and Lumo formed a strategic collaboration to co-deliver the AI Readiness Advisory service. Digitalent contributes deep global expertise in AI, ML, and Data recruitment and talent, while Lumo contributes AI enablement capabilities including strategy design, integration, and embedding AI for long-term value creation. Both partners are members of UKAI (UK AI ecosystem organisation) and met at a House of Lords UKAI roundtable. The partnership was formalised after repeatedly hearing from clients: 'We need to do AI... but we don't know where to start.'
- UKAI (UK AI)minorUKAI is a UK-based AI ecosystem organisation. Both Digitalent (Chris Morrow) and Lumo are members of UKAI. The membership and associated roundtable at the House of Lords is referenced as the origin point of the Digitalent-Lumo partnership for the AI Readiness Advisory service.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Digitalent competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Riviera Partners: Tech-focused executive search firm specialising in engineering, product, and AI/ML leadership placements. Closely comparable to Digitalent in its niche focus on senior technology hires, though typically serving larger enterprise clients.
- Storm4: Specialist tech recruitment firm with a strong focus on AI, machine learning, and clean technology roles across the UK and US. Highly comparable to Digitalent in vertical focus and similar startup/scale-up client base.
- Understanding Recruitment: UK-based specialist recruiter with deep AI, machine learning, and data science practices serving startups and enterprise clients. Comparable to Digitalent in niche specialisation and candidate assessment expertise.
- Selby Jennings: Specialist recruiter covering technology, quantitative finance, and AI/ML talent with global offices. Comparable in niche focus on highly technical talent pools and global placement capability.
- LHi Group: Specialist recruitment group operating niche brands across technology, clean energy, and life sciences. Comparable as a specialist recruiter model with multi-brand vertical focus, including AI-adjacent technology hires.
Broad incumbents
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Technology & Services practice covering AI leadership searches. Comparable as a competitor for senior AI/ML placements, but operates at much larger scale and with broader sector coverage.
- Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting firm with a significant executive search practice covering technology and AI leadership roles. Comparable for senior mandates but offers a much broader portfolio beyond recruitment.
- Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with technology officer and AI leadership practices serving large enterprises. Comparable in senior mandate work but operates across all major sectors with much larger teams.
- Hays: Large global recruitment firm with technology and digital practices covering AI and data hiring. Comparable on technology recruitment delivery, though operates across all sectors at much larger scale.
- Robert Half: Global staffing and recruitment firm with technology and digital practices that place AI/ML professionals. Comparable as a competitor for technical talent placements, though much broader and less specialised than Digitalent.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Digitalent social profiles
Digital presenceDigitalent compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Digitalent financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Digitalent leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Digitalent funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Digitalent M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Digitalent
What does Digitalent do?
Digitalent is a specialist AI and Machine Learning recruitment agency placing executive, permanent, and contract AI/ML talent for VC-backed startups and high-growth companies across the US, UK, and Australia. The firm supplements its search mandates with the proprietary Synergy pre-recorded video interview service, an AI Readiness Advisory co-delivered with Lumo, and a Career Catalyst coaching programme for individual AI/ML professionals. Revenue is generated through placement fees on successful hires, consulting fees from advisory engagements, and per-package coaching fees.
Is Digitalent a public or private company?
Digitalent is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Digitalent founded?
Digitalent was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Digitalent based?
Digitalent is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Digitalent make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Executive Search (Retained & Contingent) is the primary driver. The others are permanent Recruitment, contract Recruitment, AI Readiness Advisory and career Catalyst Coaching.
Who are Digitalent's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Riviera Partners, Storm4, Understanding Recruitment, Selby Jennings and LHi Group. Broad incumbents are Heidrick & Struggles, Korn Ferry, Spencer Stuart, Hays and Robert Half.
Does Digitalent have an API?
No public API is recorded for Digitalent.
What industry is Digitalent in?
Digitalent's product category is Executive Search and Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACANAB, Technical & Digital Skills Training. Its NAICS code is 611430.