Pop Science
Pop Science is a London-based independent specialist recruitment and workforce solutions consultancy serving pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CRO and health technology organisations with permanent, contract, executive search, RPO and FSP services across global life sciences markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Pop Science does
Pop Science is a London-based, independently owned specialist recruitment and workforce solutions consultancy focused exclusively on the life sciences sector. Founded circa 2006, the firm serves pharmaceutical, biotechnology, contract research organisation (CRO) and health technology clients with permanent recruitment, contract and interim staffing, executive search, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and Functional Service Provider (FSP) solutions spanning clinical development, biometrics, medical affairs, regulatory affairs, product development, market access, HEOR and commercial leadership. The company is led by Managing Director Gail Kniveton, whose nearly 30 years of life sciences industry experience underpins a consultative positioning that emphasises deep domain expertise over transactional placement.
The business operates with multiple revenue streams. Permanent and executive search placements generate transactional placement fees; contract and interim staffing generate day-rate or project-deliverable based fees; RPO arrangements are billed as monthly subscriptions with reduced per-placement fees; and FSP engagements are structured as managed-services contracts that can include setting up dedicated teams, offices and systems for clients. Pricing is bespoke and not publicly disclosed, but the company has introduced flexible commercial models including fixed-price recruitment, split payments tied to start dates, and subscription arrangements. Distribution is primarily direct and consultative to enterprise clients, complemented by a self-serve candidate portal (job search, CV upload, automated alerts) and thought-leadership channels including blog content, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and conference speaking.
Beyond core recruitment, Pop Science has extended into adjacent consulting offerings — AI and Technology Advisory, Digital Transformation, Commercial Growth, Workforce Strategy and Project Delivery — and operates Project X Health as an innovation platform exploring the future of life sciences with AI specialists and behavioural scientists. In November 2024 the firm announced it had joined forces with Coronado Research and its sister company Innovo Associates while re-establishing itself as an independent business with a broader offering. No external institutional funding, acquisition history or disclosed revenue figures are evident in source materials, and the firm is described as founder-led with a global service footprint spanning the UK, EMEA, APAC, LATAM and the USA.
Pop Science firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pop Science
- Legal name
- Pop Science
- Website
- https://pop-science.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pop Science is a London-based independent specialist recruitment and workforce solutions consultancy serving pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CRO and health technology organisations with permanent, contract, executive search, RPO and FSP services across global life sciences markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pop Science industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Life Sciences Recruitment Services
- NAICS
- Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Clinical Operations & Monitoring FSP (CRA/CTM/Start-up) (HLAGAOAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Medical Affairs, Scientific Communications & HEOR FSP (HLAGAOAG), Laboratory, Bioanalytical & Central Lab Staffing FSP (HLAGAOAI), Healthcare & Life Sciences Leadership Search (BPACAAAE), Emerging Tech (IoT, Blockchain, AR/VR, Edge) Consulting (BPAHAEAL)
Keywords
Where Pop Science is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pop Science business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Permanent Recruitment: Search and selection of candidates at all levels from graduate to CxO level. Fees are highly competitive with rebate terms for candidates leaving soon after hiring.
- Contract Recruitment: Temporary and interim staffing solutions. The company engages both employment contracts and freelance networks, offering full-time, part-time or project deliverable based contracts.
- Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO): Complete recruitment process outsourcing where the company acts as the in-house recruitment team, including training and embedding recruiters as part of client's teams.
- Functional Service Provider (FSP) Solutions: Hiring teams of resources and setting up offices and systems for clients to work on. Includes consulting for business development, operational diversification and geographical diversification.
- Flexible/Pricing Models: Innovative pricing models including fixed price recruitment, split payment of hiring fees on start date and at 3 months, subscription models with reduced fees, and RPO arrangements.
- Executive Search: Specialist recruitment for leadership and executive level positions across life sciences organisations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Permanent Recruitment - Search and Selection |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Contract/Interim Staffing |
| Subscription | Monthly | Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Multi-year contract | Flexible Pricing Options |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Pop Science product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pop Science is a specialist life sciences recruitment consultancy that provides permanent recruitment, contract/interim staffing, executive search, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), and Functional Service Provider (FSP) solutions to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CRO and health technology organisations. The company also delivers consulting services in AI & technology advisory, digital transformation, workforce strategy and project delivery, and operates the Project X Health innovation platform alongside sector partners.
Product overview
Pop Science is a life sciences growth partner offering a comprehensive suite of recruitment and workforce solutions. The portfolio centers on core recruitment services including Permanent Recruitment, Contract Recruitment, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), and Functional Service Provider (FSP) Solutions, complemented by Executive Search and Interim Leadership placements. The company also provides consulting services spanning AI & Technology Advisory, Digital Transformation, Commercial Growth Consulting, Life Sciences Consulting, Project Delivery, and Workforce Strategy. Supporting these offerings is Project X Health, an innovation platform exploring the future of life sciences through collaboration with AI specialists and healthcare experts. For candidates, services include career planning, job alerts, work experience, and volunteering opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Project X Health: Innovation platform through which Pop Science works alongside industry leaders, AI specialists, behavioural scientists and healthcare experts to explore the future of life sciences.
Products and services
- Permanent Recruitment
- Contract Recruitment
- Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)
- Functional Service Provider (FSP) Solutions
- Executive Search
- Interim Leadership
- AI & Technology Advisory
- Life Sciences Consulting
- Workforce Strategy
- Project X Health
Companies that use Pop Science
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Pop Science technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Pop Science partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Coronado ResearchcorePop Science and sister company Innovo Associates have joined forces with Coronado Research. This marks a new chapter for delivering greater value to customers and candidates. The companies are in transition with a new platform being prepared. Pop Science remains committed to ensuring a seamless experience for all during this development.
- Innovo AssociatescoreSister company that joined forces with Pop Science and Coronado Research, marking an integrated offering across the group.
- Talent Room (Sarah de Corday-Long)minorPartnership for psychometric testing services. Provides testing for hiring at executive level and a second model to help with leadership team collaboration. Psychometric results support hiring excellence and team collaboration.
- Fresh Fit LondonminorWellbeing partner providing mental and physical fitness solutions for corporate and individual clients.
- Tandem WellbeingminorWellbeing partner working with Fresh Fit London to provide corporate and individual solutions for mental and physical wellbeing.
- Project X HealthcoreInnovation platform through which Pop Science works alongside industry leaders, AI specialists, behavioural scientists and healthcare experts to explore the future of life sciences. Enables advising clients not only on today's challenges but on what's coming next.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Pop Science competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Coulter Partners: Coulter Partners is a global executive search firm exclusively focused on life sciences, placing C-suite, board and senior leadership into pharma, biotech, CRO and health-tech — directly competing for the executive search engagements that Pop Science offers.
- CK Group: CK Group is a UK-based specialist scientific recruitment consultancy placing life sciences, clinical, regulatory and R&D professionals into pharma and biotech clients — closely overlapping Pop Science on geography (UK), customer base and functional specialisations.
- Skills Alliance: Skills Alliance is a specialist life sciences recruitment consultancy providing permanent and contract staffing across clinical, regulatory, biometrics and medical affairs into pharma and biotech — overlapping Pop Science on services, sectors and customer seniority.
- i-Pharm Consulting: i-Pharm Consulting is a specialist life sciences staffing and consulting firm serving pharma, biotech and CRO clients across clinical operations, regulatory, biometrics and medical affairs — a directly comparable scale specialist recruiter.
- Real Staffing (SThree plc): Real Staffing is the life sciences recruitment arm of SThree plc, operating as a global specialist recruiter placing clinical, regulatory, biometrics, medical affairs and HEOR professionals into pharma, biotech and CRO clients — directly mirroring Pop Science's core service portfolio and customer verticals.
- FOCUS Search Partners: FOCUS Search Partners is a life sciences-focused executive search firm placing senior leaders across biotech, pharma, CRO and digital health — competing head-to-head with Pop Science's executive search practice.
- Hays Life Sciences: Hays Life Sciences is the dedicated life sciences division of FTSE-listed Hays plc, delivering permanent, contract and RPO recruitment across pharma, biotech, medical device and CRO clients worldwide — a directly comparable scale competitor in the same niches Pop Science serves.
- Invenia Group: Invenia Group is a specialist life sciences recruitment consultancy focused on commercial, medical affairs and market access placements into pharma and biotech — a direct peer in the commercial/medical-affairs sub-vertical Pop Science serves.
- PharmiWeb Solutions: PharmiWeb operates a global life sciences job board and recruitment services business serving pharma, biotech and CRO hiring managers — competing for the same customer budgets for life sciences talent acquisition as Pop Science.
Broad incumbents
- Acacium Group (Life Sciences): Acacium Group (formerly ID Medical / RPS) is a large global staffing and managed services provider with a life sciences and clinical research staffing division offering FSP, RPO and contract staffing — a broader incumbent offering overlapping FSP/RPO solutions Pop Science delivers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Pop Science social profiles
Digital presencePop Science financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pop Science leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Pop Science funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pop Science 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 Pop Science
What does Pop Science do?
Pop Science is a specialist life sciences recruitment consultancy that provides permanent recruitment, contract/interim staffing, executive search, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), and Functional Service Provider (FSP) solutions to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, CRO and health technology organisations. The company also delivers consulting services in AI & technology advisory, digital transformation, workforce strategy and project delivery, and operates the Project X Health innovation platform alongside sector partners.
Is Pop Science a public or private company?
Pop Science is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Pop Science founded?
Pop Science was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pop Science based?
Pop Science is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Pop Science make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Permanent Recruitment is the primary driver. The others are contract Recruitment, recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), functional Service Provider (FSP) Solutions, flexible/Pricing Models and executive Search.
Who are Pop Science's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Coulter Partners, CK Group, Skills Alliance, i-Pharm Consulting, Real Staffing (SThree plc), FOCUS Search Partners, Hays Life Sciences, Invenia Group and PharmiWeb Solutions. Acacium Group (Life Sciences) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Pop Science have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pop Science.
What industry is Pop Science in?
Pop Science's product category is Life Sciences Recruitment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGAOAA, Clinical Operations & Monitoring FSP (CRA/CTM/Start-up), with a secondary code of HLAGAOAG, Medical Affairs, Scientific Communications & HEOR FSP. Its NAICS code is 541612 and its SIC code is 8742.