Tech Exec Placements At Startup Speeds

Retained executive search for Silicon Valley for over 20 years

"ESI is our #1 choice for executive searches where a deep understanding of the company’s technology is essential to find the right leadership candidates."

Shankar Chandran, Managing Director and Head of Samsung Catalyst Fund

"I’ve been working with Essential Solutions for over a dozen years and they have consistently performed for me, especially when extensive research is required. Aaron has never failed me."



Matt Howard, Managing Partner, Norwest Venture Partners

Retained Executive Placement

C-level, VP, other senior executive leadership roles in:

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Autonomous Vehicles
  • Virtual Reality
  • IoT
  • Sensors
  • Cloud Infrastructure
  • Digital Health
  • Software Defined Networking
  • Security
  • Storage
  • SaaS
  • Wireless
  • Semiconductors

Founder Friendly

Retained executive searches led by our own founder, who personally interviews every CEO candidate we field. So we understand what founders need from their team -- and what founders need from a successor.

Essential Solutions


A trusted strategic partner to dozens of VCs including Samsung Catalyst Fund, Norwest Venture Partners, and Nexus Venture Partners, ESI is a team of tech industry vets with decades of experience. With a proprietary network of 30,000+ established executives, we have made over 500 successful placements so far.

From Legacy Firms to Startups

The tech industry changes every day; the essentials of leadership never do. From long-established portfolio companies to startups surviving on seed funds, we’ve been matching the right executive from our vast network to the right team -- for over 20 years. Don’t take our word for it: Ask our customers.

"Aaron and his team at Essential Solutions are among the very best of the executive search firms who work with startups. They spend the much needed time and effort to understand a startup's business and culture and work with the founders to find the right talent for their companies. They have helped several of our portfolio companies build their management teams. Strongly recommended!"

Jishnu Bhattacharjee, Nexus Venture Partners

Competitive Pricing, Rapid Results

Our model is unique among Silicon Valley executive search firms: We base our fees on results, and the milestones our clients set for us -- not monthly or quarterly retainers. We take final payment only after a candidate starts their first day in the office.