Strategic talent partnership that delivered 800% headcount growth, exceptional retention, and world-class engineering teams in Suffolk’s competitive tech market

The Challenge: Scaling at Lightning Speed in a Specialist Market

When Derivco’s Ipswich operation needed to rapidly scale their engineering and product teams, they faced the unique challenges that come with explosive growth in a highly specialized sector:

The iGaming market demands exceptional talent with niche expertise:

• Technical complexity: Building scalable distributed systems for global sports betting platforms serving millions of users
• Regulatory requirements: Finding engineers who understand gaming compliance and security standards
• Market competition: Competing with London fintech firms and global gaming companies for limited talent
• Cultural fit: Maintaining Derivco’s collaborative, family-like culture while scaling 8x
• Speed vs. quality: Rapid expansion without compromising on their world-class engineering standards

As Matt David, Director of Product Engineering, explains: “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.”

The Strategic Partnership: Beyond Traditional Recruitment

Rather than treating this as a high-volume hiring exercise, Hurren and Hope embedded as a strategic talent partner, understanding both the technical requirements and cultural DNA that makes Derivco successful.

Multi-Disciplinary Team Building

Successfully scaled across:

• Software Engineering: Full-stack developers, backend specialists, system architects
• Product Teams: Product managers, UX/UI designers, product analysts
• Specialized Gaming Technology: Sports betting platform developers, real-time systems engineers

Cultural Integration Focus

• Deep understanding of Derivco’s “Sing Loud” culture and seven core principles
• Assessment beyond technical skills to ensure cultural alignment
• Maintaining team cohesion during rapid scaling phases

Market Expertise

• Specialized knowledge of iGaming technology requirements
• Understanding regulatory and compliance considerations
• Access to candidates with gaming industry experience and passion

The Results: From Startup Scale to Enterprise Operations

Transformational Growth

• 800% team expansion: Scaled from 30 to 240 people in Ipswich
• Maintained culture: Preserved collaborative, family-like environment throughout growth
• Quality retention: Long-term success of placements across engineering and product teams

Strategic Impact

• Market position: Helped establish Ipswich as a key technology hub for Derivco’s global operations
• Technical excellence: Built teams capable of delivering “bleeding edge” Microsoft stack solutions
• Innovation capability: Assembled talent that keeps Derivco ahead of competitors

Client Partnership Value

“Mark and his team have found us many excellent recruits in the past that have gone on to be very successful with us. His approach is different to others in recruitment and very conducive to getting the right people in the right jobs.” – Matt David, Director of Product Engineering

Beyond Recruitment: True Business Partnership

Lucy Newton, Senior VP of People, captures the partnership approach that made this scaling success possible:

“Don’t mistake Mark for just a recruiter, he is a true business partner. He has the ability to provide solid business advice and help you think more dynamically about business growth. Mark has integrity and is incredibly approachable. I cannot recommend him highly enough!”

This testimonial highlights the strategic value that separates exceptional recruitment partnerships from transactional hiring services.

Why This Approach Works for High-Growth Tech Companies

For Engineering Leaders

“We needed recruitment partners who understood our technical stack and could assess both skill and cultural fit.”

• Technical depth: Deep understanding of gaming technology requirements
• Quality focus: Rigorous assessment ensuring long-term success
• Cultural alignment: Preserving team dynamics during rapid scaling

For People Leaders

“Scaling 8x without losing our culture required partners who truly understood our business.”

• Strategic insight: Business advice beyond just candidate placement
• Cultural preservation: Maintaining company values during growth phases
• Partnership approach: Embedded support rather than transactional service

For Business Leaders

“We needed talent acquisition that could keep pace with our aggressive growth plans.”

• Scalable delivery: Proven ability to handle large-scale team building
• Market expertise: Specialized knowledge of niche technology sectors
• Long-term success: Candidates who grow with the business

The Derivco Success Model

Derivco represents the future of iGaming technology – combining cutting-edge engineering with deep gaming industry expertise. Their Ipswich operation demonstrates how the right talent strategy can transform a regional office into a global technology powerhouse.

Key Success Factors:

• Sector specialization: Understanding the unique requirements of gaming technology
• Cultural expertise: Maintaining company values during rapid growth
• Strategic partnership: Business advice and growth planning beyond recruitment
• Quality focus: Long-term success over short-term filling of positions

Ready to Scale Your Engineering Teams Like a Global Tech Leader?

Whether you’re building specialized technology teams, scaling rapidly post-funding, or expanding into new markets, the companies that succeed are those who treat talent acquisition as a strategic business function.

Our proven approach works for:

• ✅ iGaming and fintech companies
• ✅ High-growth technology businesses
• ✅ Companies requiring specialized technical expertise
• ✅ Organizations scaling culture-conscious teams

Get in touch to discuss how we can:

• Scale your teams 8x without losing culture
• Access specialized talent in competitive markets
• Build world-class engineering and product teams
• Maintain quality during rapid growth phases

Hurren and Hope specializes in strategic talent acquisition for high-growth technology companies. We’ve helped businesses across gaming, fintech, and specialized technology sectors build exceptional teams that drive global success.