We connect industry-defining founders with the exceptional talent they need.
Early-Stage
Search Operators
We are a boutique ‘Search Operator’ focussed on helping Startups hire the key strategic talent they need for growth. We believe the best partnerships are deeply operational which means going beyond the rigid structure of traditional search models.
Having spent nearly half a decade as an exclusive talent advisor within two of Europe's leading early-stage VCs (Point Nine, Blossom Capital) we’ve seen the impact getting early hires right can have on a startup’s trajectory. Over 100 visionary founders have trusted us to guide them through key inflection points.
People
Kim Goddard
Founding Operator
For over a decade, I've navigated the complexities of talent acquisition, spending half of that time at Blossom Capital and Point Nine - two of Europe's leading VCs. I've helped founders build from Seed to Series D whether it’s first-boots on the ground or Pre-IPO Leadership. Teams I partner with don’t just scale—they thrive.
Before my time in VC, I worked as a consultant with some of the biggest names in tech – including Facebook, Atlassian, and Nubank – helping them solve critical talent challenges.
I believe exceptional hiring means thinking beyond traditional skills-based matching by also looking at stage appropriateness, intellectual horsepower, and the personal fit that candidates bring.
Exceptional partnering means proactively acting as a guardrail for founders' talent decisions, whether or not they relate to the specific hire we are working on.
Let’s Chat
Who We’ve Helped
Backed by the Best
What we do
We work closely to deeply scope the what and how before getting to work on connecting you with the who.
We act as your strategic advisor and talent guardrails helping you to build robust assessment frameworks, onboarding plans and to define early success metrics making sure you not only hire the right people, but you set them up for fast impact.
We combine a no BS approach with genuine empathy, making sure you gain a strategic advantage through talent.
Why we do it
We believe the current startup recruiting model is broken. Founders are forced to choose between two options:
Contingent recruiters who lack the rigour, depth, and experience to navigate strategic hires.
Traditional search firms whose fee structures and operating models aren't built for early-stage businesses.
After years of frustration trying to find a partner who could bridge that gap - we decided to build one.
Lighthouse combines the strategic advisory of a top-tier VC talent partner, the research depth of an executive search firm, and the operational pace of a high-performing contingent recruiter.
Europe’s early-stage ecosystem deserved a better partner. Now it has one.