Nexco.ai raises pre-seed from DSW Ventures to build AI agents for executive search

What's the deal? Nexco.aiDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a London-based startup building AI agents for the executive search industry, has raised a pre-seed round from DSW VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The amount was undisclosed.

Founded in 2024 by Charlotte Gandell and Gareth Cokell, Nexco.aiDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → makes conversational AI agents that turn unstructured candidate interactions — interviews, references, compensation discussions — into structured, CRM-ready intelligence. The platform helps executive search firms automate screening, shortlist analysis, and internal reporting.

DSW VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Manchester-based early-stage VC firm, led the investment. It backs high-growth startups across the UK through SEIS and EIS funds, from pre-seed through Series A.

Why now? Executive search remains one of the most labour-intensive corners of recruitment. Consultants spend hours on calls, then manually log notes into CRM systems. AI agents capable of capturing and structuring that data in real time could dramatically cut administrative overhead — a compelling proposition as firms face margin pressure and rising client expectations.

What could go wrong? The recruitment AI space is crowded and fast-moving. Nexco.aiDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → targets a niche — executive search — but larger platforms with deeper pockets could easily expand into the same territory. Adoption also depends on trust: executive search firms handle sensitive candidate data, and convincing them to route conversations through AI agents may prove a harder sell than the technology itself.

The signal: DSW VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →' backing of Nexco.aiDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → fits its broader mandate of funding high-growth UK startups from pre-seed through Series A, but the bet here is notably vertical — targeting a narrow, high-trust professional workflow rather than broad-based recruitment automation. With the company planning to use the capital to expand its agent platform and accelerate product development, the race is on to lock in executive search firms before larger, better-funded AI recruitment platforms move upmarket into the same niche.

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