Case study · AI for energy · London, Houston
AI for energy: hard hires in London and Houston
In short: Applied Computing, the London AI company behind Orbital, a foundation model for energy operators, asked us to fill two very different roles on two continents. We placed its first hire in Houston, brought in to spearhead a client campaign, and filled a head of product role in London that had stayed open for more than five months before we were appointed.
- Client
- Sector
- AI for energy and industrial operations
- Where
- London and Houston
- What we did
- First Houston hire and a head of product
Key numbers
hire in Houston, home of the company's first US office
months the product role had been open before we were appointed
continents, two very different roles, one recruitment partner
Series A raised by Applied Computing in July 2026, led by KBR
Funding details are from public reports of Applied Computing's July 2026 Series A, which Databricks Ventures also joined: Tech.eu, UKTN and InnovationMap.
The challengeWhat did the client need?
Applied Computing builds Orbital, a foundation model for energy and industrial operations that combines physics, chemical engineering models, time series forecasting and language. Hiring for a company like that means finding people who understand both AI and heavy industry, a small pool on either side of the Atlantic.
- Scarcity: people who pair AI and product skills with energy know-how are rare
- A new market: Houston was new ground, with no local team to hire through
- A stalled search: the product role had been open for more than five months before we were appointed
- Range: two very different roles, one in Houston and one in London
Two searches, two continents
The same team ran both searches, from our London and US desks.
Their first hire in Houston
We found and placed Applied Computing's first hire in Houston, brought in to spearhead a client campaign in the heart of the US energy industry.
A head of product in London
A senior product role that had stayed open for more than five months before we were appointed. We filled it.
One partner, two markets
A commercial hire in Texas and a product leader in London need very different searches. Applied Computing got both from one partner.
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Questions about this case study
Who is Applied Computing?
Applied Computing is a London-based AI company building Orbital, a foundation model for energy and industrial operations. In July 2026 it raised a $20M Series A led by KBR, with Databricks Ventures, and announced its first US office in Houston.
Which roles did Hurren & Hope fill?
Applied Computing's first hire in Houston, brought in to spearhead a client campaign, and a head of product in London, a role that had been open for more than five months before we were appointed.
Why are AI in energy roles hard to fill?
The strongest candidates combine two skill sets that rarely meet: modern AI and product skills, and a working understanding of energy and industrial operations. That pool is small in London and smaller still in a new market, which is why roles like these can stay open for months.
Can a London recruiter hire in Houston?
Yes. Our outreach focuses on London, New York and San Francisco. Clients often ask us to support their satellite teams elsewhere in the UK, the US and Europe, and we do, as we did for Applied Computing in Houston.
Can venture-backed companies spread or defer the fee?
Yes. Any client can pay monthly through Pay While They Stay. Venture-backed founders can also use Aligned, on hurrenandhope.vc, which defers up to 75% of the fee until the next funding round. If that round doesn't happen, the deferred part isn't owed.
What happens if a hire leaves early?
Every permanent hire comes with a free 90-day replacement. If you pay through Pay While They Stay, the monthly payments also stop if your hire leaves, so you never keep paying for someone who has gone.
What does Hurren & Hope charge for a permanent hire?
20% of first-year base salary for permanent hires below executive level, or 18% on every hire when you give us three or more roles to fill. You can pay it as one invoice on the start date, or monthly over 12 months through Pay While They Stay, where payments stop if your hire leaves. UK fees are plus VAT.US clients are not charged VAT.
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