What Nakama Group Plc does

Nakama Group Plc is an AIM-listed specialist recruitment company headquartered in Caterham, UK, formed in October 2011 through the merger of Nakama Ltd UK and Highams Recruitment Limited. The group operates a dual-brand model targeting two non-overlapping verticals: the Nakama brand serves the digital, creative, media, marketing, and technology sectors across the UK, Europe, Asia, and Australia, while the Highams brand focuses on financial services — specifically business change and IT roles within insurance and investment management — across the UK and Europe.

The group runs an international office network spanning at least London, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, Melbourne, and New York, with additional references to Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur, giving it cross-border placement capability uncommon for a firm of its size. In April 2012, the group launched Nakama Search, extending its core contingent recruitment offering into executive and direct search mandates. No proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capability, or differentiated data asset is disclosed; the business is fundamentally a relationship-driven, fee-earning recruiter.

The revenue model is standard specialist recruitment: the firm earns transaction fees (typically a percentage of placed candidate salary) on successful permanent placements, with the Highams vertical adding financial-services consulting and IT-change recruitment to the mix. Management is led by Group CEO Robert Sheffield (based in Australia to drive APAC), with Angus Watson as CFO, Kerri Sayers as Group COO and Company Secretary, Mark de Lacy as MD of Highams, and Paul Goodship as MD of Nakama London. The largest disclosed shareholders (as of November 2015) are Mark Dixon (17.83%), Ken Ford (11.46%), Robert Sheffield (11.04%), Miton Asset Management (8.85%), John Higham/Paul Goodship combined (7.87%), and D & G Hart (7.40%) — a mix of founder/management and institutional holders.

Name

Nakama Group Plc

Legal name

Nakama Group PLC

Website

https://nakamagroupplc.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Nakama Group Plc is an AIM-listed specialist recruitment group operating a dual-brand model: Nakama places digital, creative, media, marketing, and technology professionals, while Highams recruits business-change and IT staff into financial services across the UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Caterham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Recruitment Placement Services: The company generates revenue through recruitment placement fees, placing candidates into specialist and management positions across its target sectors. Revenue is derived from both Nakama (digital, creative, media, marketing, technology) and Highams (Financial Services, Business Change, IT in Insurance and Investment Management) brands.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Nakama Group plc is a recruitment group operating two branded solutions that place candidates into specialist and management positions. The Nakama brand recruits for the digital, creative, media, marketing and technology sectors across the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia, while the Highams brand focuses on Financial Services recruitment, specifically Business Change and IT roles within Insurance and Investment Management in the UK and Europe. The group also runs a dedicated Nakama Search offering launched in April 2012.

Product overview

Nakama Group Plc is a recruitment group consisting of two branded solutions: Nakama and Highams. Nakama operates globally in digital, creative, media, marketing and technology sectors across UK, Europe, Asia and Australia. Highams focuses on Financial Services recruitment, specifically Business Change and IT in Insurance and Investment Management in the UK and Europe. The group was formed in October 2011 through the merging of Nakama Ltd UK with its Asia-Pacific subsidiaries and Highams Recruitment Limited.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nakama: Operates in the digital, creative, media, marketing and technology sectors from offices in the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia.
• Highams

Products and services

• Nakama Recruitment Specialist recruitment services for the digital, creative, media, marketing and technology sectors across the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia. Permanent and retained search placements of specialist and management candidates.
• Highams Recruitment Specialist Financial Services recruitment focused on Business Change and IT roles within Insurance and Investment Management, currently operating in the UK and Europe.
• Nakama Search Dedicated executive search service offered within the Nakama brand for specialist and management placements in the digital, creative, media, marketing and technology sectors.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Capita Asset ServicescoreOthersRegistrars for Nakama Group PLC. Located in Huddersfield, UK providing share registration services.
• Eversheds LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSolicitors providing legal counsel to Nakama Group PLC. Located at One Wood Street, London EC2V 7WS.
• BDO LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerExternal auditors for Nakama Group PLC. Located at 2 City Place, Beehive Ring Road, Gatwick, West Sussex RH6 0PA.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Nakama Group Plc