Venture Capital
A Specialist Talent Partner For
VC Portfolio Companies
Richard Wheeler Associates works alongside your VC platform and talent teams to fill technical roles across AI/Data, CleanTech, MedTech, Cyber Security and Software Engineering. Here’s what a partnership will look like:
One senior point of contact. You and your portfolio companies work directly with Richard Wheeler.
Speed and rigour. A shortlist typically within 14 days. Fast enough that hiring keeps pace with product delivery, without lowering the bar.
A specialist not a generalist. RWA's roots are in technology Search & Selection: rigorous screening and interviewing, not keyword-matching CVs.
Complementary not competing. Working alongside your in-house talent team and a CTO/Founder, protecting your brand.
No placement, no fee.
Mis-hires are existential at this stage with costs up to 213% of salary plus risk to product momentum and the next funding cycle.
With 35+ years’ experience, RWA brings screening and interviewing rigour.
We aim for a job offer per 2 candidates shortlisted.
Sector Expertise
Deep Specialism Across Your Highest-Priority Sectors
We specialise in senior and founding technical hires and niche sector roles (AI research scientists, security clearance-sensitive cybersecurity hires, regulatory-aware MedTech engineers).
AI / Data Science. From applied AI engineers to research scientists, we understand the difference between research-led and product-led candidates. We work directly with spin-out pipelines from Oxford, UCL, Cambridge and Entrepreneur First.
CleanTech. Mission-alignment matters to candidates here as much as compensation does. We screen for technical depth as well as matching values and a genuine interest in the problem.
MedTech / HealthTech. Safety-critical, regulated engineering is a different discipline to a typical SaaS build - validation, audit trails and MHRA/FDA-aware development sit alongside the core software and data skills. We assess for both.
Cyber Security. Genuine hands-on security depth is scarce and often compounded by clearance or nationality requirements for government-adjacent or infrastructure clients.
Software Engineering. Essential hires, regardless of vertical: engineers to scale a team past employee ten, distributed hiring, and possible visa sponsorship.