Vektor is a contingency recruiting agency for VC-backed Seed through Series C startups. We charge 18 to 25% of first-year salary with no fee until the candidate starts, and guarantee free replacement if a hire leaves within 90 days. Typical fill windows run 2 to 8 weeks by role level.
We help startups hire engineering, sales, and ops talent, fast.
Pay nothing until your candidate starts.
90-day replacement guarantee if the hire doesn’t work out.
90 days
Typical post-raise hiring window
Industry pattern
25–30%
Traditional agency fees
Market average
6–10 wks
Traditional time-to-hire
Market average
90-day replacement guarantee: If your hire leaves for performance or fit within 90 days of start, we run a replacement search at no additional placement fee. See pricing
Last updated
Hiring for Seed–Series C teams, including companies backed by
YC
a16z
Sequoia
Accel
Bessemer
Greylock
Index
LightspeedYCa16zSequoiaAccelBessemerGreylockIndexLightspeedPortfolio-backed teams
After You Raise
Just raised? Your first 90 days of hiring decide the next 18 months.
Industry pattern: most post-raise hiring decisions concentrate in the first 90 days. Teams that scale headcount without a bottleneck thesis burn runway on coordination, not leverage.
01
Name the bottleneck
Product velocity, revenue, or ops: hire against the constraint, not an org chart.
02
Sequence leadership before volume
Senior owners and eng or GTM leads before a wave of juniors. Avoid stacking multiple VPs in month one.
03
Hire in waves tied to milestones
0–90 days = mission-critical seats. Pause, measure velocity, then open the next wave.
If product / roadmap is the bottleneck
Hire a founding or senior engineer, or an eng lead who creates leverage, before adding headcount theater.
If pipeline / revenue is the bottleneck
Hire an AE or GTM operator after basic sales infrastructure exists. Don’t hire a VP Sales before a repeatable motion.
Not sure which seat unlocks growth?
The Old vs. New Way
Startup Recruiting That Takes Your Company to the Next Level
Stop losing momentum to slow hires, inflated fees, and weak candidates.
Hiring Bottleneck
Slow Hires
Every open seat stalls product velocity and kills momentum in building pipeline.
- Source 250 CandidatesDue Today
- Screen 18 Engineers2 days ago
- Schedule 10 InterviewsFriday
- Post New SDR Opening70% prepared
- Work With 10 Recruiting Firmssent to clients
Our Process
Our Simple, Smart, and Scalable Recruiting System
We help startup leaders build high-performing teams without the chaos of traditional recruiting.
Step 1
Precision Sourcing
Placement stories
Winning Talent for High-Growth Teams
SaaS Startup in SF
Seed · Engineering hire
When a SaaS startup needed a founding full-stack engineer to own zero-to-one features, they couldn't afford a slow hiring cycle. We delivered a product-minded finalist with former founder pedigree and secured a signed offer in just 2 weeks.
Data Platform in NYC
Series A · Sales hire
When a data workflow platform set out to scale GTM, they needed Account Executives who understood technical product depth and could close autonomously from day one. We delivered enterprise AEs from elite startup environments in under 3 weeks.
Consumer Startup in LA
Series A · Sales hire
When a consumer startup began building their outbound engine, they needed founding SDRs who could create pipeline from scratch. We delivered high-performance operators who could test messaging and run high-volume outbound immediately.
Health Tech in Austin
Series B · Operations hire
When a healthcare startup hit a surge in enterprise demand, they needed a Head of Ops to scale operations fast. We delivered a qualified finalist and secured a signed offer in 30 days, ensuring leadership was in place before contracts closed.
Benefits
Why Companies Choose Vektor
We help startups scale high-performing teams with predictable costs, consistent quality, and a hiring engine that compounds value.
Predictable Costs
Placement fees from 18–25%. No retainers, no commissions, no surprises. Your spend is fixed and forecastable.
Consistent Quality
Each candidate is vetted through our AI-powered scoring system. You interview only top performers, so you never waste time again.
Faster Hiring Cycles
First vetted candidate in days, not weeks. AI sourcing compresses timelines by 60% compared to traditional agencies.
Shared Accountability
Transparent weekly reporting and a partnership built on outcomes, not transactions.
Time Back for Leaders
We handle sourcing, screening, and scheduling. You focus on product, fundraising, and leading your team.
Founder Empathy
Built by founders who know what a bad hire costs a 10-person startup. That context doesn't exist at traditional staffing firms.
Pricing
We make hiring predictable, fast, and performance-driven.
So you can scale your business, not chase recruiters. Pay $0 until your candidate starts.
Junior Engineer, SDR, Associate
Timeline: 2–3 weeks
Example
$75,000 → $13,500
Mid Engineer, AE, Ops Manager
Timeline: 3–4 weeks
Example
$110,000 → $22,000
Senior Engineer, Sales Manager
Timeline: 4–6 weeks
Example
$150,000 → $33,000
Director, Head of Dept, VP
Timeline: 6–8 weeks
Example
$180,000 → $45,000
- Pay $0 until candidate starts
- 90-day replacement guarantee
- Full-cycle recruiting included
- Dedicated recruiter & weekly updates
For multi-role or post-raise hiring spikes
Hiring Partner
A dedicated recruiting partner for teams filling several seats after a raise, with weekly operating cadence, prioritized pipeline, and one accountable owner.
- Multi-role capacity without stacking agencies
- Weekly hiring updates inside your workflow
- Contingency or custom partner terms
Fee Calculator
Your placement fee
$22,000
20% of $110,000 · Pay $0 until start
Prefer async?
Send us your open role
Tell us what you’re hiring for. We’ll reply within one business day, or book a 15-min call.
FAQs
We've Got the Answers You're Looking For
Quick answers.
Vektor combines AI-native sourcing with founder-led judgment. We fill roles in 2–3 weeks vs. the 6–10 week industry average, at 18–25% fees vs. the 25–30% traditional agencies charge. You pay nothing until your candidate starts with a 90-day replacement guarantee.
We focus on three categories: Engineering (software, mechanical, electrical, hardware, civil, environmental), Sales (SDR, BDR, AE, BDM, GTM leadership), and Operations (HR, recruiting, ops leadership). We work with VC-backed startups from Seed through Series C.
Simple placement fees based on role level: Junior 18%, Mid 20%, Senior 22%, Head/Director 25% of first-year salary. You pay $0 until your candidate starts. No retainers, no hidden fees. For multi-role or post-raise spikes, ask about our Hiring Partner plan.
If your hire leaves for performance or fit within 90 days of their start date, we run a replacement search at no additional placement fee. You still only pay when a candidate starts.
Timeline depends on role level: Junior roles in 2–3 weeks, Mid in 3–4 weeks, Senior in 4–6 weeks, and Director/Head roles in 6–8 weeks. First vetted candidates typically arrive within days.
We partner exclusively with VC-backed startups from Seed through Series C: big enough to have real budget and hiring needs, small enough that you can be our primary recruiting partner.
Still unsure? Book a call today.
Test the system and get results before you commit. Pay nothing until your candidate starts with a 90-day replacement guarantee.
Book a call