Retained
Retained is a boutique Brisbane-based recruitment agency placing contract and permanent technology professionals into SaaS and software companies across Australia, operating on selective client engagement and a proprietary four-stage search framework with 15 years of SaaS specialization.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersBrisbane, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Retained does
Retained is a privately held, boutique recruitment consultancy headquartered in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, founded by Matt Brearley around 2010. The firm specializes in placing technology professionals — both contract and permanent — into SaaS and software companies, with a stated focus on the Queensland and broader Australian market. It explicitly operates as a "selective" recruiter, choosing clients and candidates rather than serving a broad market, and differentiates on longevity of placement tenure rather than volume.
The company's core offerings are two service lines: Contract Tech Recruitment, which has been placing contractors since 2007 and focuses on retaining contractors through project-critical spikes, and Permanent Tech Recruitment, which emphasizes long-term cultural and compensation fit to reduce early-stage departures. The underlying delivery model is a bespoke "Search, Select, Engage" framework designed to overcome four documented breaking points in traditional recruitment. The company has no proprietary technology platform, no API, no mobile app, and no AI/ML capabilities — its product is human expertise and process discipline. Revenue is generated via transaction fees on placements, with no public pricing schedule.
The firm is bootstrapped, founder-owned, and operates with 1-10 employees (an Account Manager, two Candidate Managers, and the Managing Director). Marketing is conducted through LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, an email newsletter, and downloadable e-books/toolkits used as lead magnets. The firm cites 500+ successful placements over 15 years, 10+ year client retention for many accounts, and specific outcome metrics such as a 23% churn reduction for a SaaS client within six months of a Head of Customer Success placement.
Retained firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Retained
- Legal name
- Retained
- Website
- https://retained.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Retained is a boutique Brisbane-based recruitment agency placing contract and permanent technology professionals into SaaS and software companies across Australia, operating on selective client engagement and a proprietary four-stage search framework with 15 years of SaaS specialization.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Retained industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tech Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Temporary Help Services (561320), Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Services (5613)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Contingent Workforce / Contractor RPO (Contractor Recruiting) (BPACABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)
Keywords
Where Retained is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brisbane
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Retained business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Contract Tech Recruitment: Placement of contract/temporary tech professionals for project-based needs. The company has been placing contractors since 2007, focusing on building high-performing contract teams through their process and approach that helps retain contractors through critical project spikes.
- Permanent Tech Recruitment: Placement of permanent tech hires with focus on long-term fit for both business and candidate. Emphasizes longer tenure and successful outcomes over the long term.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Boutique recruitment services with selective client engagement |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Retained product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Retained is a boutique tech recruitment agency that places contract and permanent technology professionals into SaaS businesses and other tech-focused organizations in Australia. The firm specializes in building high-performing tech teams for growing SaaS companies through a selective, relationship-driven matching process supported by a bespoke recruitment framework developed over 15 years.
Product overview
Retained is a boutique tech-focused recruitment agency offering two core placement services: Contract Tech Recruitment and Permanent Tech Recruitment. The agency also provides free downloadable e-books as lead generation resources. The core offerings work together to serve SaaS businesses at different growth stages, with contract placements supporting rapid scaling and project-based needs, while permanent placements focus on long-term team building. The downloadable content resources serve as supplementary tools for recruitment strategy guidance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Contract Tech Recruitment Contract placement service for building high-performing tech teams, with a process and approach designed to retain contractors through critical spikes in project deliverables. Retained has been placing contractors in this manner since 2007.
- Permanent Tech Recruitment Permanent placement service focused on finding the right match for both business and candidate to ensure mutual benefit over the long term, emphasizing longer tenure and successful outcomes over time.
Quantifiable outcome
- Placement tenure exceeds industry average, reducing long-term recruitment and training costs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Retained
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Retained technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Retained partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Retained competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Peoplebank: Australia-based IT and tech recruitment firm offering both contract and permanent placements across the technology sector. Directly comparable to Retained's boutique tech-recruitment model, with similar services and customer base in Australian tech hiring.
- Talent International: Australian IT recruitment specialist offering contract and permanent tech placements, including SaaS and software sectors. Closely mirrors Retained's tech-vertical focus and contract/permanent dual offering in the Australian market.
- Bluefin Resources: Australian specialist recruiter for technology, digital, and SaaS roles, offering contract and permanent placements. Comparable to Retained given its tech vertical focus and direct placement model in the Australian mid-market.
- Davidson Technology: Australian recruitment firm with dedicated technology practice providing permanent and contract tech hiring. Comparable to Retained for tech-focused recruiting across Australian enterprise and mid-market clients.
Broad incumbents
- Robert Half Australia: Global staffing firm with a strong Australian presence providing technology, finance, and administrative recruitment. Comparable to Retained for tech contract and permanent placements, but operates as a broader incumbent rather than a SaaS-specialist boutique.
- Robert Walters Australia: Global professional recruitment firm with an Australian presence specializing in technology, finance, and senior hires. Overlaps with Retained on tech permanent and contract placement, but operates as a broader international incumbent.
- Chandler Macleod: Australian staffing and recruitment firm offering contract and permanent placements across multiple industries, including technology. Comparable to Retained for staffing services, but operates at significantly larger scale with broader sector coverage.
- Michael Page Technology: Global professional recruitment firm with a dedicated technology practice in Australia placing permanent and contract roles. Comparable to Retained's services, but with a much broader portfolio and global brand.
- Hudson Australia: Australian recruitment firm with a technology and digital practice placing contract and permanent talent. Comparable to Retained on tech recruitment, but wider industry and service scope.
- Hays Australia: Large multinational recruitment firm with a significant Australian footprint covering technology, construction, and professional services. Overlaps with Retained on tech contract and permanent placements, but as a broad incumbent rather than a niche SaaS boutique.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Retained social profiles
Digital presenceRetained financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Retained leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Retained funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Retained 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 Retained
What does Retained do?
Retained is a boutique tech recruitment agency that places contract and permanent technology professionals into SaaS businesses and other tech-focused organizations in Australia. The firm specializes in building high-performing tech teams for growing SaaS companies through a selective, relationship-driven matching process supported by a bespoke recruitment framework developed over 15 years.
Is Retained a public or private company?
Retained is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Retained founded?
Retained was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Retained based?
Retained is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Retained make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Contract Tech Recruitment is the primary driver. The others are permanent Tech Recruitment.
Who are Retained's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Peoplebank, Talent International, Bluefin Resources and Davidson Technology. Broad incumbents are Robert Half Australia, Robert Walters Australia, Chandler Macleod, Michael Page Technology, Hudson Australia and Hays Australia.
Does Retained have an API?
No public API is recorded for Retained.
What industry is Retained in?
Retained's product category is Tech Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACABAK, Contingent Workforce / Contractor RPO (Contractor Recruiting), with a secondary code of BPACAFAA, General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry). Its NAICS code is 561320 and its SIC code is 7361.