Major milestones
Symbiosis Search founded in the post-Dotcom Bust environment to focus on making senior hires for high-growth, investor-backed Enterprise Software vendors expanding anywhere internationally. Our first retained Executive Search contract win is to deliver an EMEA Managing Director for the Software business of ECITel. Our first Executive Search delivered and #1 hire completed is a Director for Southern Europe based from Italy for Excelergy (Energy Trading and Management platform).
Our first mega-Client - a start-up that grows exponentially through to highly successful exit: Symbiosis Search launches leading SaaS pioneer WebEx in EMEA, delivering 35 retained Executive Searches over the next four years - including the cross-functional International leadership team. WebEx grows to become the second largest SaaS company behind Salesforce and to be acquired by Cisco in 2007 for $3.2 billion.
Three years after founding, Symbiosis Search moves out of leased shared workspace and purchases a newly refurbished headquarters near London.
Symbiosis Search recruits the Technology Inward Investment team for UK Government in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics, tasked with attracting Tech sector companies globally to enter the UK and European market and build regional headquarters in the build-up to the Games.
Symbiosis Search launches eCommerce platform vendor, hybris, internationally in support of the CEO and with responsibility for leadership, Go-To-Market and new country entry hiring. Over the next five years, Symbiosis Search delivers 65 Executive Searches in 14 countries as hybris grows from 75 people to 1500+ and overall leadership in the eCommerce space, culminating in the successful 2013 exit to SAP for $1.5 billion.
In support of the Founder and COO, Symbiosis Search launches Digital Marketing pioneer, ExactTarget, in EMEA and APAC. Over the next four years, the company grows from zero to 300+ people internationally with Symbiosis Search delivering 60+ hires across leadership, Enterprise Sales and Presales, Marketing, Alliances, Customer Success and Services. Five new international regional offices are established. ExactTarget successfully IPOs in 2012 and is acquired by Salesforce for $2.5 billion in 2013 to form the spine of Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
During the period 2012-2016, Symbiosis Search launches and builds international operations for many Cloud Software companies which grow to become $1+ billion valued "Unicorn" businesses: Veeva (IPO 2013), Box (IPO 2015), Apptio (IPO 2016), Gigya (acquired by SAP 2017), Medallia (IPO 2019), Sprinklr....
Symbiosis Search closely supports Sequoia and Summit Partners with their portfolio companies as they build out international senior leadership and Go-To-Market teams: Druva (Endpoint Backup SaaS), ThousandEyes (Network Intelligence SaaS - acquired by Cisco in 2020 for $1 billion), Signavio (Business Process Management SaaS) and Relex (Retail Optimization platform). SVP or VP Executive Searches are delivered in all portfolio companies and Enterprise-class teams built in 9 countries across EMEA and APAC.
Long-term contracts with dedicated teams delivered, with Symbiosis Search managing leadership and Go-To-Market hiring for Google Ventures-backed Scandit (Image Recognition SaaS) and Mobilewalla (Mobile Marketing SaaS) during their hyper-growth stage. Multi-functional teams built across North America, EMEA and APAC.
Symbiosis Search wins and delivers our 1000th Retained Executive Search - a VP APAC hire based from Singapore for Customer Experience Optimisation SaaS leader, ContentSquare. A truly international effort showcasing the international focus of Symbiosis Search during our first 20 years: French company; American investors; Canadian candidate; British headhunter; Executive Search undertaken in Singapore and Australia.
