A Guide to the Executive Search Industry
The funding round, announced on 22 September 2026, was led by Balderton Capital, with participation from Base10 Partners, Y Combinator and Fortino Capital.
Spott plans to use the investment to expand internationally, develop new features for larger recruitment businesses and strengthen its artificial intelligence capabilities.
The funding comes as recruitment agencies increasingly explore how AI can help reduce administrative work and improve efficiency throughout the hiring process.
What is Spott?
During their consulting work with recruitment businesses, the founders noticed that recruiters were spending considerable time entering information manually, updating candidate databases and moving data between different software systems.
They identified an opportunity to develop a recruitment platform built around artificial intelligence from the outset, rather than adding AI capabilities to existing software.
Spott combines applicant tracking system (ATS) and customer relationship management (CRM) functionality in a single platform, designed specifically for recruitment agencies.
The company serves businesses operating across executive search, permanent recruitment, contract recruitment and temporary staffing.
How does Spott’s AI recruitment platform work?
Spott aims to bring together several functions that recruiters would traditionally manage using separate software tools.
Its platform combines candidate management, search, communication, outreach and administrative automation in one system.
AI is used to process information from CVs, emails and recruitment activity, turning unstructured information into searchable records. This reduces the need for recruiters to manually enter and update data.
The platform can also support searches across candidate databases containing up to two million records, helping recruiters identify relevant candidates and access information more efficiently.
Unlike traditional recruitment software providers that have introduced AI features into existing products, Spott says its platform was developed with AI as a core component from the beginning.
However, the company emphasises that recruiters remain responsible for important decisions. Its software does not automatically move candidates into recruitment pipelines or present them to clients without human approval.
The intention is to automate repetitive tasks while allowing recruitment consultants to spend more time on candidate relationships, client communication and placements.
Rapid growth and investor interest
Spott has reported significant growth since the beginning of 2026.
According to co-founder and COO Manu Vanderveeren, the company’s revenue increased more than tenfold during the year, driven largely by demand from recruitment businesses looking to adopt AI technology.
More than 80% of its new business reportedly comes through inbound enquiries, including referrals, LinkedIn and its website.
At the time of the funding announcement, Spott employed approximately 44 people, including around 18 engineers.
The Series A round was led by Balderton Capital, a European venture capital firm known for investing in technology businesses.
Phil Chambers, a partner at Balderton Capital who led the investment, highlighted the founders’ understanding of the operational challenges facing recruitment agencies and their approach to rebuilding recruitment software around AI.
The funding reflects growing investor interest in technology that can automate parts of the recruitment process and improve productivity.
AI adoption in the recruitment industry
Spott’s funding comes at a time when AI is becoming an increasingly important part of recruitment technology.
Recruitment agencies have traditionally relied on applicant tracking systems, CRM software and separate tools for sourcing, outreach and scheduling.
Although these systems have improved the organisation of recruitment processes, they can still require significant manual input from consultants.
AI-powered platforms aim to reduce that workload by automating data entry, organising candidate information and helping recruiters identify relevant opportunities more quickly.
Established recruitment software providers are also introducing AI functionality into their existing products, while newer businesses such as Spott are developing systems designed around the technology from the beginning.
For recruitment agencies, the potential benefits include improved efficiency, more accurate candidate records and additional time for higher-value activities.
However, human judgement remains central to decisions about candidate suitability, client requirements and successful placements.
