Case study · iGaming · Ipswich and London
From 30 to 240 people, without losing the culture
In short: Derivco's Ipswich operation, formerly Ludologic, grew eightfold, from 30 to 240 people. We recruited software engineers, product people and specialist gaming technologists in Ipswich and London, worked with the new South African owners on an employer rebrand, and helped keep one cohesive culture across Ipswich, London and Durban.
- Client
- Sector
- iGaming technology
- Where
- Ipswich, London and Durban
- What we did
- Engineering and product hiring, and an employer rebrand
Key numbers
people in the Ipswich operation at the start
people after the growth we recruited for
growth, while keeping a collaborative, family-like culture
The challengeWhat did Derivco need?
Ludologic, an Ipswich gaming studio, had been bought by Derivco, a South African iGaming group headquartered in Durban. The Ipswich operation needed to scale its engineering and product teams quickly, in Ipswich and London, in a specialist sector where the right people are scarce, and to feel like one company with the teams in Durban.
- Technical complexity: scalable distributed systems for global sports betting platforms serving millions of users
- Regulation: engineers who understand gaming compliance and security standards
- Competition: London fintechs and global gaming companies chasing the same small talent pool
- Culture: one cohesive setup across Ipswich, London and Durban, keeping the collaborative, family-like culture while growing 8x
- Standards: growing fast without compromising on engineering quality
“We needed partners who understood that this isn’t just about filling seats, it’s about finding the right people who can thrive in our fast-paced, innovative environment.”
“Don't mistake Hurren & Hope for just a recruiter. They are a true business partner. They have the ability to provide solid business advice and help you think more dynamically about business growth.”
How Hurren & Hope helped
We treated this as building a team, not a high-volume hiring exercise, and learned the culture that makes Derivco work.
Engineering and product
Full-stack developers, backend specialists and system architects; product managers, UX and UI designers and product analysts; sports betting platform developers and real-time systems engineers.
One culture, three sites
Ipswich, London and Durban had to feel like one company. We learned Derivco's “Sing Loud” culture and seven core principles, and assessed every candidate for cultural fit as well as technical skill.
Employer brand and UK hiring
We met the South African owners and helped rebrand the Ipswich operation as an employer. We also shared how UK hiring works, the methods and approaches that win candidates here, so the Ipswich and London teams could compete for talent.
Sector knowledge
Specialist knowledge of iGaming technology, its regulatory and compliance considerations, and access to people with gaming experience and passion.
ResultsWhat happened next
Growth
- Scaled from 30 to 240 people in Ipswich
- Collaborative, family-like culture kept throughout
- Long-term success of placements across engineering and product
Impact
- Helped establish Ipswich as a key technology hub for Derivco's global operations, with London roles alongside
- Teams building high-traffic, real-time betting platforms on the Microsoft stack
“Hurren & Hope have found us many excellent recruits in the past that have gone on to be very successful with us. Their approach is different to others in recruitment and very conducive to getting the right people in the right jobs.”
Director of Product Engineering, Derivco
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Questions about this case study
Who is Derivco?
Derivco is a global iGaming technology company headquartered in Durban, South Africa. It bought Ludologic, a gaming studio in Ipswich, which became Derivco Ipswich. This case study covers the growth of that operation and its London roles.
How much did the Ipswich team grow?
From 30 to 240 people: eightfold growth, while keeping the collaborative, family-like culture the team valued.
Which roles did you recruit?
Software engineers (full stack, backend and system architects), product managers, UX and UI designers, product analysts, sports betting platform developers and real-time systems engineers.
How did you protect the culture while hiring so many people?
We learned Derivco's “Sing Loud” culture and seven core principles, and assessed every candidate for fit with them as well as for technical skill, so Ipswich, London and Durban worked as one company.
How did you help after the acquisition?
We met Derivco's South African owners, helped rebrand the Ipswich operation as an employer, and shared how UK hiring works, the methods and approaches that attract candidates here, alongside the recruitment itself.
Do you recruit outside London?
Yes. For Derivco we recruited in Ipswich, Suffolk, as well as in London. 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.
Do you offer better rates for larger hiring volumes?
Yes. Give us three or more roles to fill and every hire is 18% of base salary. For larger hiring volumes, please get in touch. We value loyalty and long-term partners, and we are happy to reflect that in our fees.
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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