FDE & SE Specialists · UK, New York, San Francisco
The technical talent most recruiters can't find.
Ikuto places Forward Deployed Engineers, Sales Engineers and Solutions talent at Seed–Series B SaaS and AI companies. We shortlist in 5 days. Every candidate is video-verified before you see them.
Trusted by teams at
5-day shortlist
We don't say we'll try. We commit to a shortlisted slate within 5 days of brief. If the market doesn't support it, we'll tell you upfront.
Video-verified candidates
Every candidate is pre-screened on video before you see them. No cold CVs. No surprises. Just people who can do the job and have proved it.
Specialists, not generalists
SE, FDE and Solutions roles only. We know this market — the titles, the ramp curves, the comp expectations — better than anyone.
Roles
The roles we know inside out
Client-facing and technical. Every role we place sits at the intersection of product, sales, and engineering.
Forward Deployed Engineer
Embedded in customer environments. Ships code, solves problems, builds trust. The hardest role in tech to hire for.
Sales Engineer
Owns the technical deal. Runs demos, scopes POCs, answers the questions that close or lose a deal.
Solutions Consultant / Pre-Sales
Bridges product and sales. Translates complex capability into outcomes the buyer actually cares about.
Deployment Strategist
Owns how the product lands in an enterprise. Turns a signed contract into a working, adopted deployment.
Customer Success Engineer
Technical post-sale. Drives adoption, unblocks integrations, and makes sure the customer actually gets value.
Implementation Engineer
Gets the product live. Runs onboarding, manages configuration, and hands off to the customer team.
Coverage
UK and US, with people on the ground
London
UK headquarters
New York
East Coast coverage
San Francisco
West Coast coverage
Process
From brief to shortlist in 5 days
Brief
We understand the role, the team, the stage, and what good actually looks like. Takes 30 minutes. Sets up everything that follows.
Search
Active headhunt, not just job boards. We tap the FDE World network, our own pipeline, and people who aren't looking yet.
Shortlist
Every candidate is screened on video. You get a slate of people who can do the job — within 5 days of brief.
Placed
We're present through offers and onboarding. And we follow up post-hire, because we care if it actually works.
Live mandates
Roles we're working right now
Implementation Consultant (AI / SaaS)
Seed ($10M) - AI/SaaS
Solutions Engineer / Technical Support Engineer – AI (Python)
Seed - AI
Sales Engineer (Data Platform)
Seed ($11M) - Data/AI
Our network
We also run FDE World
The largest curated job board for client-facing technical talent. 2,000+ open SE, FDE and Solutions roles, updated daily. Our candidates use it. Our clients love what it tells us about the market.
Blog
Insights on hiring technical talent
What is a Forward Deployed Engineer?
A clear explanation of the forward deployed engineer role — what they do, how they differ from a standard software engineer, and why fast-growing SaaS and AI companies are hiring them.
Dave Stephens
Co-founder, Ikuto Group
Read article →
How to Hire a Sales Engineer at Series A
Practical advice for founders and VPs of Sales on how to hire a Sales Engineer at Series A — what to look for, what mistakes to avoid, and how to structure the interview process.
Dave Stephens
Co-founder, Ikuto Group
Read article →
FDE vs SE vs Solutions Consultant — What's the Difference?
A clear breakdown of the FDE vs Sales Engineer vs Solutions Consultant debate — what each role actually does, how they overlap, and which one your company needs right now.
Dave Stephens
Co-founder, Ikuto Group
Read article →
Working on an SE or FDE hire?
Tell us what you need. We'll tell you if we can help — and if we can, you'll have a shortlist in 5 days.
Let's talk