Zeal Ventures

What Zeal Ventures does

Zeal Talent Ventures is a private executive recruiting firm that places Director, VP and C-suite executives into venture-backed startups across the seed-to-pre-IPO stage range. The firm operates as a boutique with direct Partner involvement on every search and a stated 75-day process timeline designed for startup hiring velocity. It serves functional practices spanning CEO/Founder/Board, Tech (Engineering, Product and AI), Go-to-Market (Sales, Marketing, Revenue and Customer Success), and General & Administrative (Finance, Operations, People and Legal), with a customer base that spans fintech, AI, insurtech, healthcare, consumer, travel, wealth, robotics, space and public safety — a roster that includes Affirm, Applied Systems, Away Travel, Cedar, Crescendo, Descript, Dragos, Dude Perfect, Feastables, Imprint, Overjet, SandboxAQ and others. The firm is headquartered at 270 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10012, with a 16-person team anchored by two Founders (Bryce Scott as Founder & CEO, Kevin Polman as Founder & Partner) and supplemented by a third Founding Partner (Zach Rufer), two Partners, multiple Principals and Senior Executive Recruiters, plus dedicated Heads of Operations and People.

There is no proprietary technology platform disclosed; the firm's service is delivered through partner-led retained search, candidate sourcing, interviewing and placement rather than a software product. Its core technology posture is therefore a traditional professional-services model with no API, SDK or app surface area, and any leverage from software tooling (CRM, sourcing automation) is not disclosed.

Zeal generates revenue through professional-services fees typical of retained executive search, most plausibly structured as a retainer plus success fee per placement. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, but the boutique positioning, partner-led model and concentration on premium senior and C-suite hires are consistent with fee-per-search economics rather than transactional or SaaS pricing. Go-to-market is direct and consultative: founders and leadership teams engage through a 'Let's Chat' CTA on the website and through individual partner and recruiter networks on LinkedIn, with no intermediary channel or self-serve funnel. Customer segmentation is horizontal across stage (seed, growth and pre-IPO) and vertical (no single industry dominates the disclosed logo set).

Name

Zeal Ventures

Legal name

Zeal Talent Ventures

Website

https://zeal.ventures

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zeal Talent Ventures is a New York-based boutique executive recruiting firm placing Director, VP and C-suite leaders at venture-backed startups from seed to pre-IPO across tech, fintech, AI, healthcare and consumer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Functional Leadership Search (HR/Finance/Legal/Marketing/Sales/Ops) (BPACAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technology & Product Leadership Search (CIO/CTO/CDO/CPO) (BPACAAAC)

Keywords

• Executive recruiting
• Talent acquisition
• Startup recruiting
• C-suite placement
• Executive search

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Executive Search/Recruiting Services: Retained executive search services for startups placing Head of, VP, and C-suite executives. Revenue generated through search fees, likely retainer-based model typical of executive recruiting.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Zeal Talent Ventures provides retained executive recruiting services for startups, placing Head of, VP, and C-suite executives across functional practices including CEO/Board, Technology (Engineering, Product, AI), Go-to-Market (Sales, Marketing, Revenue, Success), and G&A (Finance, Operations, People, Legal). The firm operates as a boutique with direct Partner involvement on every search, targeting seed to pre-IPO stage companies with a 75-day target process to land an executive candidate.

Product overview

Zeal Talent Ventures is an executive recruiting firm providing a single service offering: executive recruiting for startups. The company specializes in helping early and growth-stage startups attract Head of, VP, and C-suite executives across multiple functional practices including CEO/Board placements, Technology (Engineering, Product, AI), Go-to-Market (Sales, Marketing, Revenue, Success), and General & Administrative (Finance, Operations, People, Legal). The company focuses on the Technology sector and serves companies from Seed to Pre-IPO stages. Their recruiting process is designed to place candidates within 75 days. The firm operates as a boutique with direct Partner involvement on every search, offering a customized approach collaborative with clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Recruiting for Startups

Quantifiable outcome

• 75-day executive search process

Named customers32 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong technology, consumer, and financial services practices. Overlaps with Zeal on CEO and functional C-suite searches but serves a wider geography and customer base.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep C-suite practice. Competitor at the top of Zeal's market — particularly on board, CEO, and functional leadership placements — but serves a much broader customer base beyond startups.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search and board advisory firm with strong technology practice. Overlaps with Zeal on CEO, board, and senior functional placements for technology clients, but operates at much larger scale and broader industry scope.
• N2Growth: Executive search and leadership advisory firm with dedicated technology and venture practice. Overlaps with Zeal on executive placements for high-growth and venture-backed companies across CEO, tech, and GTM functions.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a large executive search practice. Competes with Zeal for senior executive placements at growth-stage and pre-IPO technology companies, while offering broader talent and organizational services.

Direct peers

• CarterPierce: Executive search firm focused on placing senior leaders (particularly revenue/GTM) at high-growth technology companies. Comparable to Zeal on customer profile (VC-backed startups), retained-search model, and speed-of-execution value proposition.
• True Search: Executive search firm focused on placing C-suite and senior leaders at venture-backed technology companies. Highly comparable to Zeal on customer segment (VC-backed startups), functional coverage, and retained-search model with partner-led delivery.
• ON Partners: Boutique retained executive search firm placing C-suite and senior leaders across technology and growth-oriented companies. Comparable to Zeal in partner-led model, focus on venture/growth-stage clients, and coverage of tech, GTM, and G&A functions.
• Riviera Partners: Boutique retained executive search firm specializing in placing technology and product leadership at venture-backed and growth-stage companies. Directly comparable to Zeal in target customer (startup founders), functional focus (engineering/product/GTM), and boutique delivery model.

Emerging players

• Hunt Club: Tech-enabled recruiting platform with venture network roots that places executives and operators into high-growth companies. Adjacent competitor to Zeal on the startup-executive-hiring use case, differentiated by a more technology-driven delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zealventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments3 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Zeal Ventures