Expanding into the United States is a meaningful milestone for international SaaS, AI, and tech companies. Not only does the US have the top ranked startup ecosystem in the world, it also offers access to diverse and profitable markets, a wealth of available venture capital funding, and deeply experienced go-to-market (GTM) talent.
For all of the benefits of US expansion, however, there are common challenges foreign companies face when scaling GTM talent in America. For example, hiring teams often receive high volumes of applications for each role, making it difficult to identify which candidates are most highly qualified.
At the same time, the sophistication of the US technology market has created a diverse talent pool of candidates whose experience span numerous industries, growth stages, sales motions, and customer profiles. A candidate’s success in a previous role, however, can be a misleading indication that they are the right fit for your needs.
Choosing where to establish your US presence or target GTM candidates can also be difficult given the country’s many distinct technology hubs. For example, while Silicon Valley attracts more pure AI companies that apply product-led growth motions, New York City is a hub for organizations selling Applied AI solutions to large enterprises across the financial services, insurance, legal, and healthcare industries.
Candidates who have worked in certain regions of the country likely bring specific backgrounds across sales motion, growth stage, buyer persona, and technical expertise. A specialized recruiting agency can help your hiring team identify and attract your ideal candidate based on your specific revenue goals, customer profile, and GTM strategy.
Compensation creates additional difficulties for foreign companies scaling their GTM teams in the US. Salary ranges vary widely across the county, and compensation packages that do not match market benchmarks often fail to attract top candidates.
Below are the top ten US-based recruiting firms for foreign companies scaling their go-to-market (GTM) teams in America. These firms combine deep functional and industry expertise, proprietary market data, and extensive talent networks to help your organization accelerate revenue growth.
Most importantly, these firms have proven experience supporting international organizations successfully scale their operations in the US to access new markets and build credibility with investors.
Methodology
To compile a list of the top ten US-based sales recruiting agencies for foreign organizations scaling their GTM teams in America, we conducted rigorous research to create an objective, data-driven ranking.
Our data comes from company websites and LinkedIn pages, press announcements, job postings, online Google and G2 reviews, digital marketing materials, and public resources such as case studies, articles, and compensation guides.
We began by evaluating US-based recruiting firms that place sales, marketing, customer success, and/or revenue operations talent for technology companies. Our national reach allowed us to draw on our knowledge of other GTM firms across the country.
Only firms that met the following criteria were further evaluated for our final ranking:
- Demonstrated experience placing go-to-market talent for technology companies
- Based in the US
- Evidence of partnerships with foreign companies to scale operations in the US
The remaining firms were then evaluated against stricter criteria on a 15-point scale. We ranked the firms by how many points they earned. If there was a tie, firms that had greater evidence of international presence were ranked higher.
Ranking Criteria:
1. GTM Hiring Specialization (0–2 Points)
- 2 Points: Core specialization in GTM hiring
- 1 Point: Recruiting specialities span functional areas
2. Industry Focus (0–3 Points)
- 3 Points = Partners primarily with SaaS / AI companies
- 2 Points: Broad, yet exclusive, tech focus (AI, software and hardware)
- 1 Points: Tech is a major segment but not exclusive
- 0 Point: Broad industries (finance, healthcare, etc.)
3. Evidence of GTM Expertise (0–3 Points)
- 3 Points: Publishes GTM hiring insights, including compensation benchmarks, relevant case studies, proprietary market data
- 2 Points: Produces recurring GTM or sales hiring content, but limited proprietary market intelligence
- 1 Point: Limited visible relevant expertise, proprietary data, or recruiting thought leadership
4. Startup & Scaling Alignment (0–3 Points)
- 2 Points: Strong focus on venture-backed startups and scaling GTM organizations
- 1 Points: Supports a mix of startup and enterprise hiring
- 0 Point: Primarily supports enterprise organizations
5. SDR Talent Network & Recruiting Infrastructure (0–2 Points)
- 2 = Proprietary platform, database, or network specific to sales talent
- 1 = Claims strong network but no clear system
- 0 = No differentiation
6. Evidence of Foreign Partnerships (0–3 Points)
- 3 Points: Published case studies, hiring insights, market data, and content relating to helping foreign companies scale in the US
- 2 Points: Claims prior experience helping foreign companies scale in US but limited to no evidence
Results:
| RANK | FIRM | SCORE |
| 1 | Betts Recruiting | 15/15 |
| 2 | HireDNA | 14/15 |
| 3 | Captivate Talent | 13/15 |
| 4 | Stott and May | 11/15 |
| 5 | 3Search | 10/15 |
| 6 | Certus Recruitment | 9/15 |
| 7 | RevPilots | 9/15 |
| 8 | AC Lion | 8/15 |
| 9 | Hirewell | 8/15 |
| 10 | Franklin Fitch | 6/15 |
Key Takeaways
Our ranking methodology assesses firms for their depth of functional and domain expertise, in addition to their experience partnering with foreign tech companies to scale their GTM operations in the US. Firms are rewarded points for evidence that they are GTM hiring specialists within the US tech market.
See our in-depth ranking below:
1. Betts Recruiting (15/15)
Founded in 2009, Betts Recruiting exclusively places GTM talent for tech and tech-enabled companies.
The firm has helped more than 10,000 companies scale, including several foreign partners. It offers a range of hiring models to support rapid scaling in locations across the US to accommodate varying budgets and timelines.
The Recruitment as a Service (RaaS) model allows companies to make unlimited hires for an annual fee while receiving recruiter support. It also includes access to Betts Connect, a proprietary talent network featuring one of the largest networks of pre-vetted GTM candidates in North America.
Additionally, Betts is the industry leader in collecting market and compensation data. Their free-to-use Comp Engine holds the data from every placement they have made in the past six months to feature real-time benchmarks based on location, industries sold to, and funding stage.
Key Data Points:
- Headquarters: Austin, TX.
- Other Office Locations: San Francisco, CA; New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL and more.
- Core specialities: Go-to-market, SaaS, AI, cloud.
- Hiring models: Contingency, Executive, self-sourcing, and RaaS.
- Typical fees: Contingency fees are a percentage of the placed candidate’s first-year base salary. Betts Connect and RaaS fees available upon request.
- Time-to-fill: Typically between two to six weeks.
- Best for (who and when): Foreign SaaS and AI companies seeking a specialized GTM recruiting partner with deep startup experience, flexible hiring models, and proprietary compensation intelligence.
Case studies: Upflow, Staffbase, Red Points, Yotpo
2. HireDNA (14/15)
Founded in 2018, HireDNA specializes in recruiting individual contributor sales roles for SaaS and technology companies through a structured, data-driven approach..
Candidates are evaluated through three distinct assessments that collect 46 sales-specific criteria. These results provide objective insights into each candidate’s experience, cultural fit, employment history, and selling strengths.
HireDNA is one of the most specialized firms on the list and has a plethora of published sales-specific expertise. However, Betts has much stronger experience partnering with foreign companies.
Key Data Points:
- Headquarters: 20130 Lakeview Center Plaza, Ashburn, VA 20147
- Other Office Locations: N/A
- Core specialities: SDRs, BDRs, and AEs
- Hiring models: Managed Hiring and Candidate Screening
- Typical fees: Three pricing tiers ($30K, $65K, and $110K) based on engagement duration, active roles, and hiring volume.
- Time-to-fill: Not Publicly Available
- Best for: Seed-to-Series C startups that want a structured, data-driven approach to hiring sales talent.
Case Study: Sapience Analytics
3. Captivate Talent (13/15)
Founded in 2017, Captivate Talent exclusively recruits GTM and RevOps talent for high-growth SaaS startups.
The firm takes a consultative, human-centric approach and draws on its startup fluency to deliver solutions that align with your specific stage of growth.
Unlike Betts, Captivate Talent does not have its own sourcing platform or public proprietary data. However, the firm has a notably strong track record of helping startups across Europe, India, and Israel build and scale revenue teams in the US.
Key Data Points:
- Headquarters: 1412 Broadway, New York, New York 10001
- Other Office Locations: N/A
- Core specialities: GTM, RevOps, SaaS, AI
- Hiring models: Contingency
- Typical fees: 20%–25% of a candidate’s first-year base salary
- Time-to-fill (range by role, if available): 60+ days
- Best for: Early- to growth-stage SaaS startups (Seed to Series C) building their first US-based GTM team
Relevant case studies: Babbel, Cognism, BrowserStack
4. Stott and May (11/15)
Founded in 2009, Stott and May recruits GTM, AI/ML, infrastructure and cloud, and software engineering candidates for tech companies across the US, UK, and Europe.
The firm’s domain expertise spans enterprise software, cyber security, fin tech, crypto, ecommerce and martech, and AI.
Stott and May takes a deeply consultative approach and emphasizes the quality of its recruitment marketing materials. Consultants work in “specialist resourcing teams” to help your organization understand talent trends, define your ideal candidate profile, and target specific competitors.
The firm ranks lower than others due to its lack of pure GTM specialization.
Key Data Points:
- Headquarters: 10 West 18th Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10011
- Other Office Locations: London, England; Reading, England; Los Angeles, CA; Dublin, Ireland
- Core specialities: Technical sales, cybersecurity, AI, software engineering
- Hiring models: Permanent, Contract, Statement of Work/Project Solutions
- Typical fees: Varies widely depending on features included
- Time-to-fill: Not Publicly Available
- Best for: Mid-market through enterprise organizations requiring a combination of GTM and highly specialized technical hiring.
Case Studies: Monday.com, Nansen
5. 3Search (10/15)
Founded in 2014, 3Search recruits sales, marketing, product development, RevOps, and bids and proposals talent across the US, UK, and Europe. It supports tech, consumer goods, and professional services organizations of all sizes.
Through its proprietary “Advise, Attract, Develop” model, the firm provides consultative support and ongoing upskilling opportunities. It has a strong focus on helping international organizations expand into the U.S. and emphasizes its experience offering guidance on location strategy, compensation, and high-volume hiring.
The firm does not have a structured candidate network. Instead, recruiters “take the role to the market” via headhunting and targeted advertising.
Key Data Points:
- Headquarters: Serendipity Labs, 28 Liberty Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10005
- Other Office Locations: Austin, TX and London, England
- Core specialities: Revenue-generating talent, ecommerce
- Hiring models: Permanent, Interim, Team Builds, International Expansion
- Typical fees: Not Publicly Available
- Time-to-fill: Not Publicly Available
- Best for: Providing advisory services along with recruitment solutions
Case Studies: HPO Technologies, Skill Dynamics, Facilio
6. Certus Recruitment (9/15)
Founded in 2001, Certus Recruitment connects GTM and IT candidates with SaaS and AI companies of all sizes, especially those with customer-led growth strategies.
The firm supports hiring in 19 different countries, giving it valuable knowledge of international expansion but less specialized US market expertise. While it claims to work with the top 10% of talent globally, it has no visible evidence or methods to access these candidates.
Key Data Points:
- Headquarters: The Epicentre, Haverhill Research Park, Enterprise Way, Haverhill, England CB9 7LR
- Other Office Locations: Austin, TX and Melbourne, Australia
- Core specialities: SaaS and AI sales
- Hiring models: Executive, Permanent, Fractional, Contract, Certus-as-a-Service, Global Expansion
- Typical fees: Contingent and Project-based, determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the type of service and level of support provided
- Time-to-fill: 14 days
- Best for: Foreign software or AI companies seeking a recruiter with cross-border hiring experience across North America, Europe, and APAC.
Relevant Insights: http://bit.ly/4dQPJB0
7. RevPilots (9/15)
Founded in 2022, RevPilots recruits sales candidates across a range of industries, including SaaS, commercial, financial services, and healthcare. The firm primarily partners with US-based companies but has supported international organizations.
Each search is owned by two to three recruiters with more than ten years of operator experience. This, combined with operating hours from 8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, helps accelerate the hiring process.
Key Data Points:
- Headquarters: New York City (but remote-first)
- Other Office Locations: N/A
- Core specialities: Non-technical sales, fractional hires
- Hiring models: Full-Time and Fractional hires
- Typical fees: Depends on many factors including experience, level of expertise, type of role, etc.
- Time-to-fill: Not Publicly Available
- Best for: Rapid search processes, sales advisory services, fractional hires
Customer Testimonial: “With RevPilots we were able to get connected with a sales consultant who helped us navigate different sales challenges like hiring, improving our overall sales strategy, and how to best close different sales ops.” – CEO/CTO at Proxidize
8. AC Lion (8/15)
Founded in 1996, AC Lion recruits mid- to senior-level sales, marketing, product management, and operations talent for digital tech companies, including startups and enterprises.
The firm has a dedicated US market expansion recruiting practice for foreign companies. Its proprietary candidate delivery platform, AC Lion EQ, features video introductions, candidate shortlists, psychometric assessment results, and feedback from hiring managers.
Key Data Points:
- Headquarters: 1216 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001
- Other Office Locations: N/A
- Core specialities: Mid- to senior-level sales and customer success, digital media and AdTech, MarTech
- Hiring models: Disruptive Retained, Contingency, Team Builds, Talent Pipeline Development
- Typical fees: Flexible, custom-fit pricing models
- Time-to-fill: Not Publicly Available
- Best for: Revenue team build outs for digitally native companies in the mid-market to enterprise growth phase
See Case Study here.
9. Hirewell (6/15)
Founded in 2001, Hirewell recruits across diverse functions and industries to provide a wide breadth of services.
Recruiters conduct a deep dive into your organizational structure to source candidates who align with your needs. They leverage Rainmakers, a sales-exclusive sourcing platform, which features thousands of tech sales candidates who can be filtered by several KPIs.
Key Data Points:
- Headquarters: 550 W Adams St #210, Chicago, IL 60661
- Other Office Locations: Dallas, TX and San Francisco, CA
- Core specialities: RPO, full-service recruitment services
- Hiring models: Search, RPO, Interim
- Typical fees: Not Publicly Available
- Time-to-fill: 21 days
- Best for: Companies requiring scalable recruiting support across functions.
Case Study: Showpad
10. Franklin Fitch (6/15)
Founded in 2011, Franklin Fitch exclusively recruits GTM and IT infrastructure talent across the US, UK, and Germany. It partners with organizations of all sizes across a range of industries.
The firm places GTM talent for seed to growth-stage tech startups across the DeepTech, AI, cybertech, fintech, and climate tech domains.
It rejects a “supplier-style” approach and aims to nurture long-term relationships by delivering consultative services such as market mapping and competitor analysis.
Key Data Points:
- Headquarters: 1800 E. 4th St., Suite 100, Austin, TX 78702
- Other Office Locations: London, England; Cardiff, Wales; and Frankfurt, Germany
- Core specialities: Infrastructure and cloud, data, AI, security talent
- Hiring models: Contingent, Retained, Contract, and Embedded Recruitment Solutions
- Typical fees: Not Publicly Available
- Time-to-fill: Not Publicly Available
- Best for: Infrastructure, cloud, and cybersecurity companies expanding commercial teams in the United States.
Client Testimonial: “Franklin Fitch [have] been instrumental in building out our team in the US. We initially engaged with Franklin Fitch in the UK to support our internal recruitment needs, and they quickly proved their worth when it came to finding the right candidates at a moment’s notice and therefore extended our relationship to the [States].”
Recap:
| Rank | Firm | HQ | Specialities | Hiring Models | Best For |
| 1 | Betts Recruiting | Austin, TX | GTM, SaaS, AI, cloud | Contingency, Executive, self-sourcing, RaaS | Foreign SaaS and AI companies seeking a specialized GTM recruiting partner with deep startup experience, flexible hiring models, and compensation intelligence. |
| 2 | HireDNA | Ashburn, VA | SDRs, BDRs, and AEs | Managed Hiring and Candidate Screening | Structured, sales-specific, & data-driven hiring processes |
| 3 | Captivate Talent | New York, NY | GTM, RevOps, SaaS, AI | Contingency | Early- to growth-stage SaaS startups building first US-based GTM team |
| 4 | Stott and May | New York, NY | Technical sales, cybersecurity, AI, software engineering | Permanent, Contract, Statement of Work/Project Solutions | Mid-market through enterprise orgs requiring specialized technical hiring. |
| 5 | 3Search | New York, NY | Revenue-generating talent, ecommerce | Permanent, Interim, Team Builds, International Expansion | European tech companies expanding commercial teams into US |
| 6 | Certus Recruitment | Austin, TX | SaaS and AI sales | Executive, Permanent, Fractional, Contract, Certus-as-a-Service, Global Expansion | Foreign software or AI orgs seeking a recruiter with expansive international reach |
| 7 | RevPilots | New York, NY | Non-technical sales | Full-Time, Fractional | Rapid search processes, sales advisory services, fractional hires |
| 8 | AC Lion | New York, NY | Mid- to senior-level sales and CS, digital media and AdTech, MarTech | Disruptive Retained, Contingency, Team Builds, Talent Pipeline Development | Revenue team build outs for digitally native, mid-market to enterprise orgs |
| 9 | Hirewell | Chicago, IL | RPO, full-service recruitment services | Search, RPO, Interim | Scalable recruiting across functions |
| 10 | Franklin Fitch | Austin, TX | Infrastructure and cloud, data, AI, security talent | Contingent, Retained, Contract, Embedded | Infrastructure, cloud, and cybersecurity orgs |
Partner with Betts for a Successful US Expansion
At Betts, we have been lucky enough to partner with the most innovative companies in the world for over fifteen years. Our national presence in the US and our position as the industry leader in market and compensation intelligence makes us a trusted partner for foreign companies scaling their GTM teams in the US.
Check out our Comp Engine for live salary benchmarks. We publish research and the trends influencing these ranges in our annual guides:
Contact Betts here to secure top sales talent who accelerate your revenue growth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How do I choose a sales recruiting agency in the USA as a foreign company?
Look for firms with experience helping international companies establish and scale US revenue teams, not just general recruiting expertise. The best partners understand US compensation benchmarks, territory design, hiring timelines, and the challenges foreign companies face when entering the American market. Prioritize agencies with proven SaaS or AI recruiting experience and documented success building SDR, AE, and GTM leadership teams abroad.
2. What is the difference between contingency, retained, and RaaS recruiting?
Contingency recruiting means you only pay when a hire is made, making it a common model for SDR and AE hires. Retained search requires paying a portion of the fee upfront and is typically used for executive and leadership hires where exclusivity and deeper market mapping are required. Recruiting-as-a-Service (RaaS) provides ongoing recruiting support for a subscription-based fee and is often used by venture-backed companies hiring multiple GTM roles at scale.
3. What are typical recruiting fees and guarantee periods in the USA?
Contingency recruiting fees typically range from 20%–30% of a candidate’s first-year base salary, while retained searches often range from 25%–35%. Most agencies offer replacement guarantees lasting between 30 and 90 days, though executive searches may include longer guarantee periods. Subscription recruiting models generally charge a fixed monthly fee instead of a per-hire percentage.
4. How long does it take to hire SDRs, AEs, and GTM leaders in the USA?
Most SDR roles can be filled within 2–6 weeks when requirements are clearly defined and compensation is competitive. Mid-market and enterprise Account Executive searches typically take 4–8 weeks, depending on territory and experience requirements. GTM leadership roles such as VP Sales, CRO, or VP Marketing often require 8–16 weeks due to the smaller candidate pool and more rigorous interview process.
5. What compensation should we expect to pay US sales talent?
US sales compensation varies by geography, company stage, role, and experience level. International companies are often surprised by the compensation expectations for experienced Account Executives, sales leaders, and technical sales talent living and working in the US. A specialized recruiter can provide compensation benchmarks that help you design competitive offers in the US market.
6. What is the biggest mistake foreign companies make when hiring sales talent in the US?
One of the most common mistakes is evaluating and hiring candidates based on how “impressive” their resume appears. To find candidates who are a long-term fit for your specific needs at any given stage, it is crucial to define the ideal customer profile, sales motion, and success metrics (which an experienced recruiter can assist with). Another frequent challenge is underestimating compensation expectations or the time required to build a successful US GTM organization.
Glossary
Go-To-Market (GTM) — The process or strategy used to target, acquire, convert, and retain customers. GTM teams typically include sales, marketing, customer success, sales engineering, and revenue operations professionals.
Sales Development Representative (SDR) — An early-career sales professional responsible for outbound prospecting, lead qualification, and booking meetings for Account Executives. SDRs play a critical role in building prospect pipelines.
Account Executive (AE) — A quota-carrying sales professional responsible for managing deals from discovery through close. In SaaS and technology companies, AEs typically conduct demos, negotiate contracts, and convert qualified prospects into customers.
Revenue Operations (RevOps) — A function responsible for aligning sales, marketing, and customer success teams around shared revenue goals. RevOps professionals typically oversee CRM systems, forecasting, reporting, territory planning, and GTM process optimization.
Customer Success (CS) — A post-sales function focused on customer onboarding, adoption, retention, and expansion.
Market Entry Hiring — The process of building a company’s first commercial team in a new geographic market. For foreign companies entering the United States, market entry hiring often involves recruiting initial sales, customer success, and leadership talent to establish a local presence.
US Expansion — The process of launching or scaling business operations in the United States. This frequently includes hiring local GTM talent, establishing sales coverage, and adapting compensation structures to US market conditions.
Contingency Recruiting — A recruiting model where the recruiting firm is only paid after a successful hire is made. Fees are typically calculated as a percentage of the candidate’s first-year compensation.
Retained Search — A recruiting model that requires an upfront engagement fee and is most commonly used for executive and leadership hiring. Retained search firms generally work on an exclusive basis and conduct broader market mapping and candidate research.
Recruiting as a Service (RaaS) — A subscription-based recruiting model that provides ongoing hiring support rather than charging per placement. RaaS is commonly used by startups and scaling companies with tight budgets that expect to make multiple hires over an extended period.
Talent Mapping — A recruiting process used to identify and evaluate potential candidates within a target market before active hiring begins. Talent mapping is commonly used by companies entering a new geography or building a new function.
Compensation Benchmarking — The process of analyzing market salary, commission, equity, and benefits data to determine competitive compensation packages. Compensation benchmarking is especially important for foreign companies hiring in the US for the first time.
Contact Betts to secure top sales talent who accelerate your revenue growth.
Written by: The Betts Team
Fact Checked by: Sandra Polak, Vice President of Revenue
Updated: June 1, 2026