Case Study - Helping a Search Firm Build Relationships with Food Tech Investors
- Kellie Dodds
- Nov 13
- 3 min read
Company: A mid-sized UK-based executive search firm with a strong record in consumer goods and sustainability, now expanding into food tech and agri-innovation markets.
Industry: Food Technology
Building a VC Network |
A mid-sized executive search firm with a strong record in consumer goods and sustainability was keen to expand into the food tech sector, an area seeing rapid investment in alternative proteins, agri-innovation, and supply-chain technology.
They recognised that many of the best mandates in this space originate not directly from start-ups but through venture capital investors supporting portfolio companies.
However, the firm struggled to gain visibility with VCs and didn’t know how to approach them in a way that felt relevant and credible.
The Challenge |
The consultants were spending significant time trying to identify which investors were most active in food tech and who within those firms made talent decisions.
Their outreach often went unanswered because messages were too generic and lacked the specific insight that VC talent partners value, such as funding stage, portfolio maturity, and leadership gaps in their companies.
They needed a targeted, research-led approach that would open doors and position them as genuine partners to investors.
The Solution |
They partnered with Complement to build a structured research and outreach plan focused on data, insight, and relevance rather than direct selling.
Within days, I:
Mapped more than 70 venture and growth investors active in food tech and sustainable consumer innovation.
Profiled Heads of Talent, Operating Partners, and Managing Partners with direct responsibility for portfolio leadership support.
Analysed funding activity, investment focus, and team structures to identify which investors were most likely to require new C-level talent.
Built a tiered target list ranking investors by portfolio size, maturity, and hiring velocity.
Crafted insight-led outreach referencing portfolio trends, such as scaling fermentation capacity or transitioning from R&D to commercial sales, to demonstrate sector understanding.
Within four weeks, the firm had a fully evidence based engagement plan built on genuine insight, not generic introductions.
The Outcome |
The new, targeted approach quickly paid off:
Introductory meetings secured with six VC Talent Partners and Operating Partners within the first month.
Two invitations to participate in investor roundtables on leadership challenges in sustainable food and alternative protein.
A retained CFO search referred directly by one of the VCs, followed by introductions to portfolio companies in Europe and the US.
What began as cold outreach evolved into strategic relationships based on mutual interest and data-led credibility.
The firm moved from being a new entrant in food tech search to being recognised as a trusted, insight driven partner to investors in the sector.
Key Statistics |
70+ food tech investors mapped | 6 new investor relationships established | 1 retained mandate and 2 portfolio introductions |
Comprehensive market mapping identified more than seventy venture and growth investors active in food technology, agritech, and sustainable consumer innovation, giving the firm complete visibility of where leadership demand was emerging. | Within the first month, targeted outreach secured introductory conversations with six VC talent partners and operating partners, providing direct access to high growth portfolio companies preparing for expansion. | The insight-led approach generated an immediate retained CFO search and two additional introductions to portfolio businesses, proving that data driven engagement converts faster than broad, transactional outreach. |
Key Takeaway |
Breaking into food tech investment networks isn’t about volume of outreach; it’s about leading with sector knowledge and tailored insight.
By combining detailed mapping, funding analysis, and value-led communication, search firms can establish themselves as the go-to partner for investors building leadership teams across fast growing portfolios.
It’s a relationship first strategy that creates opportunities across multiple companies, not just one-off mandates.
Partnering with Complement |
Breaking into a new investment ecosystem requires time, research, and credibility, but most search firms don’t have spare internal capacity to do that while delivering active mandates.
Complement helps bridge that gap by providing on-demand support for research, market mapping, and investor engagement, allowing firms to expand into new sectors without diverting consultant time or adding headcount.
In this project, I provided:
Market mapping of venture and growth investors in food technology, agritech, and sustainability.
Detailed profiling of VC talent and operating partners to identify decision makers.
Insight-led outreach materials aligned to portfolio trends and leadership priorities.
Flexible delivery, billed only for time used, making it cost effective for exploratory work.
By partnering with Complement, the search firm built a credible entry point into the food tech investment space, securing new introductions, developing sector visibility, and opening a path to long term portfolio relationships.
If you’d like to explore how this could work for your firm, let’s have a conversation.
Kellie Dodds
Founder, Complement,
providing flexible on-demand research and project support for executive search firms.
