Case study · AI training data · United States
A founding engineer and a head of product: hire now, pay when you raise
In short: Kaius, an early-stage US company supplying human and real-world data for AI model training, hired its founding engineer and its head of product through us. It used Aligned, our risk-shared recruitment model for venture-backed founders: up to 75% of the fee waits until the next raise, and if that raise doesn't happen, the deferred part is never owed. We continue to support the team today.
- Client
- Sector
- AI training data
- Where
- United States
- What we did
- Founding engineer and head of product
Key numbers
key early hires: the founding engineer and the head of product
of the fee a founder can defer with Aligned, and never pay if the next raise does not happen
free replacement on every permanent hire
How much each founder can defer depends on their Aligned score. Kaius remains a client today.
What Kaius said
"I've worked with a lot of recruiters. Hurren & Hope are the rare ones who stay invested after the hire is made. They listen to the team and figure out what the role actually needs before they send anyone. They placed one of our first engineers, who's still with us and excelling, and they still check in between searches, even when there's no open role.
I'd work with them again in a heartbeat, and they'd be my first call."
Chief of Staff, Kaius · LinkedIn recommendation, September 2026
The challengeWhat did the client need?
At an early stage of funding, Kaius needed the two hires that shape everything after them: the engineer who builds the foundations and the product leader who decides what gets built. Get them right and the company moves faster. Get them wrong and it loses months it can't afford.
- First hires set the bar: a founding engineer and a head of product shape the product and the team that follows
- Runway: every dollar spent on fees up front is a dollar not spent on building the product
- Competition: strong AI engineers and product leaders have plenty of options, so an early-stage company has to be sold well
Two key hires, on Aligned
We worked as an extension of the founding team, not a supplier.
The founding engineer
We found and placed Kaius's founding engineer, the hire that sets the technical foundations and the standard for every engineer who joins after. They are still with the team and, in Ryan's words, excelling.
The head of product
Then its head of product, the senior hire who turns what customers need into what the team builds next.
Hire now, pay when you raise
Through Aligned, Kaius deferred part of each fee to its next funding round, keeping cash in the business while it hired. If that round doesn't happen, the deferred part is never owed. We carry that risk, not the founder.
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Questions about this case study
Who is Kaius?
Kaius is a US company that supplies human and real-world data for training AI models, collecting, annotating and evaluating data to each customer's specification.
Which roles did Hurren & Hope fill for Kaius?
Its founding engineer and its head of product, both at an early stage of funding. The founding engineer is still with Kaius and excelling, and we continue to support the team through Aligned.
What is Aligned?
Aligned is our risk-shared recruitment model for venture-backed founders, from pre-seed to Series A. You can defer up to 75% of the fee until your next funding round, with the amount set by your Aligned score, a 47-point score powered by Crunchbase data. If that round doesn't happen, the deferred part is never owed. It is not a loan and there is no interest. Find out more on hurrenandhope.vc.
What happens if a startup doesn't raise again?
With Aligned, the deferred part of the fee, up to 75%, is simply not owed. The founder only ever pays the part due at the start. We know of no other recruitment firm that takes on this risk for its clients.
Can an early-stage startup afford a recruiter?
Yes. With Aligned you hire now and pay most of the fee when you raise, and none of that deferred part if the raise doesn't happen. If you are not venture-backed, Pay While They Stay spreads the fee monthly over 12 months and the payments stop if your hire leaves.
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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