Early engineering decisions shape companies.
The engineers who join an AI company first define far more than code. They shape technical direction, decision-making, and the trajectory of the business itself.
Fudo Partners exists to work with founders at these moments.
We are a specialist search firm focused exclusively on early engineering roles in VC-backed AI startups, founding engineers and technical leaders responsible for taking ideas from zero to enduring companies.
The first engineers influence architecture, culture, and execution long after the early stage has passed.
Our work sits within the early-stage AI ecosystem, spanning research labs, emerging startups, and the engineers quietly shaping the next generation of systems, operating between London and New York.
Through ongoing research and our proprietary platform, Motion, we maintain a continuous view of how early engineering talent evolves across the field.
We work selectively with Seed through Series B companies building category-defining AI products.
The Story
Early companies. Critical hires.
Gareth Hill - Founder of Fudo Partners
For nearly two decades, Gareth has worked with founders on the hires that define early companies.
His focus has remained consistent: early engineering roles where technical judgment carries outsized impact , decisions that influence architecture, culture, and long-term company direction.
Through Fudo Partners, Gareth works exclusively with early stage AI founders and labs, operating at the intersection of search, judgment, and early team design.
Why Fudo?
In Japanese, Fudo (不動) means “immovable” a reflection of stability and conviction at moments of change.
Early companies move quickly. Their foundations should not.
