The startup talent marketplace where every candidate is already vetted.
Every candidate has passed a CV screen, startup interview and case study. Browse the top 1% of startup talent and book interviews directly.
Free to browse. 15% fee when you hire, backed by a 90-day free replacement guarantee. Trusted by 2,200+ UK startups.
Trusted by startups backed by leading VCs
- Seedcamp
- Y Combinator
- Entrepreneur First
- Balderton Capital
- LocalGlobe
- Backed VC
- Antler
- Octopus Ventures
- Northzone
- Firstminute Capital
- PT1
- Anthemis
- Pact
- True Global
- Founders Factory
- Ascension
- Active Partners
- Accel
- Sequoia
- Episode 1
Most founders end up in one of these three traps.
If you’ve tried LinkedIn, an agency, or going it alone — you already know how this ends.
You post on LinkedIn. 500 applications land in 48 hours. You spend a week screening to find two worth interviewing. The role stays open. Momentum stalls. And you do it all again next time.
Recruiters
A recruiter promises you a shortlist by Friday. Three polished CVs. Two bomb the interview. One gets an offer but drops out for a counter-offer. You’re four weeks in and back to square one. With a bill on the way.
DIY
You decide to own the process yourself. You write the job spec, post everywhere, build a scorecard, schedule screening calls. Six weeks later the role is half-filled and you’ve spent more time hiring than running the company.
There’s a better way for startups to hire.
Jumpstart is a UK startup talent marketplace where every candidate is pre-vetted before you see them. We reject 99% of applicants through a CV screen, startup interview, and case study — so you only browse talent worth meeting.
No recruiters taking a cut before they’ve proven anything. No LinkedIn Easy Apply CV mountains to climb. Just direct access to the top 1% of early-career startup talent, ready to interview.
800+
Active candidates ready to interview
91%
Probation success rate
1,000+
Hires made across UK startups
Whatever the role, the filtering is already done.
Four specialist streams covering generalist, sales, marketing, and commercial talent, with senior streams for operators and sales. All pre-vetted before you browse.
Generalist
- Founder Associate
- Chief of Staff
- Ops
- Senior Operator
Founder Associates, Chiefs of Staff, and Ops hires who thrive in ambiguity. They handle whatever the business needs — from operations and finance to growth and strategy. Ideal when you need someone who moves fast, figures things out, and grows with the company. Need more experience? Our Senior Operator stream adds operators with 5–10 years behind them: Chiefs of Staff, Strategy & Ops leads, Heads of People & Ops and COOs.
Preview Generalist CandidatesStop filtering. Start interviewing.
Pre-vetted early-career talent, ready to interview — browse live profiles and request interviews instantly.
Every candidate is pre-vetted before you see them
Only the top 1% make it onto Jumpstart. Every candidate passes a CV screen, interview, and case study so you only see people worth meeting.
Browse live profiles and request interviews directly
No waiting for a recruiter to send a shortlist. Log into Jumpstart, browse pre-vetted generalist, sales, marketing and commercial talent and request interviews instantly.
Check culture fit before you book a single call.
CVs hide the important stuff. Video profiles help you verify communication skills and spark in 60 seconds before you commit to a 30-minute screening call.
Backed by a 90-day guarantee.
No upfront fees. No retainers. 15% of base salary, invoiced within 14 days of your hire’s start date. If they leave within 90 days, we replace them free.
Don’t take our word for it.
500+ startups have hired on Jumpstart. Here’s what their founders say.
FAQs
Everything you need to know before you start hiring.
How is this different from a recruiter?
Recruiters work for themselves — they’re incentivised to place anyone and charge you upfront regardless of outcome. Jumpstart is a self-serve marketplace. You browse pre-vetted candidates directly, request interviews yourself, and pay a single 15% fee of base salary when you hire — backed by a 90-day free replacement guarantee.
How do you vet candidates?
We receive 5,000+ applications every month. Every candidate goes through a CV screen, a startup-specific interview, and a case study before they’re admitted to the platform. Only the top 1% make it through. By the time you see a profile, the filtering is already done.
What roles do you cover?
Jumpstart covers four streams: Generalists, Sales, Marketing, and Commercial Associates, mostly early to mid-career (1–5 years’ experience). For more experienced hires, our Senior Operator and Senior Sales streams cover 5+ years. Every candidate is pre-vetted and actively looking for their next startup role.
How quickly can I hire?
63% of startups on Jumpstart make a hire within a month of joining. Candidates are active and ready to interview — there’s no waiting for a recruiter to build a shortlist. Browse live profiles today and request interviews instantly.
What does Jumpstart cost?
It’s completely free to join, browse candidates, post roles, and book interviews. When you hire, we charge 15% of the candidate’s first-year base salary (+VAT), due within 14 days of their start date. If they leave within 90 days of joining, we’ll provide a replacement free of charge.
What if the hire doesn’t work out?
Only 9% of Jumpstarters fail to pass probation due to performance-related issues. And if your hire does leave within 90 days of joining, we’ll find you a replacement free of charge.
Ready to make your next great hire?
Free to join and browse. One 15% fee when you hire, with a 90-day free replacement guarantee. Trusted by startups backed by Y Combinator, Sequoia, and more.