BGF backs specialist recruitment company Harnham

BGF has completed a multi-million-pound investment in Harnham, the global leader in data and analytics (D&A) recruitment.

Founded by Simon Clarke (Executive Chairman) and David Farmer (CEO) in 2006, Harnham has over 150 sales consultants worldwide with key hubs in the UK (London), US (New York, San Francisco, Phoenix), and Germany (Berlin). The business places candidates into both permanent and contracted roles across a range of companies from fast-growth startups to global blue chip businesses.

In 2021, Harnham also launched sub brand, Rockborne, a new business line focused on hiring and placing junior D&A consultants across blue-chip clients. The model is known as Attract-Train-Deploy (ATD) and focuses on training and developing the next generation of data specialists through the deployment of graduate level consultants on long-term employment placements.

The substantial investment from BGF will support Harnham’s plans to scale further into the US and Europe as it seeks to expand its sales force to meet the growing demand for a high-quality, global D&A workforce.

The D&A talent market is worth more than £3 billion per annum and is growing at a rate of 10% per year. Since 2018, Harnham has more than doubled in size thanks to the ever-growing demand for highly skilled talent and rapidly increasing salaries.

Commenting on the investment, Simon Clarke, executive chairman of Harnham, said: “We have experienced significant growth since our inception 16 years ago. During this time, the business has built a reputation as a true market leader in the field of D&A, thanks to our deep sector focus and expertise, the strength of our candidates, and the high quality of our service.

“As we look ahead to the future, we are delighted to be partnering with BGF on the next stage of our growth journey. Their experience of scaling international businesses and the synergies of the investment team, made them the obvious choice to take us to the next level.”

Rahul Satsangi, investor at BGF, said: “Harnham represents an exciting opportunity to support a rapidly scaling business with an international outlook and a clear growth strategy. Supported by BGF’s flexible approach to financing and our substantial knowledge of the labour models being used to address the demand for talent in the technology industry, we are pleased to have the opportunity to partner with the business. Under the experienced leadership of Simon Clarke and his team, alongside Harnham’s market-leading service provision, and the ever-growing demand for experienced D&A professionals, we are confident the business is on a clear path to success.”