Manchester recruitment startup to take on 50 new staff with £200k funding

Broadstone, the security recruitment tech startup, is hoping to bring dozens of new jobs to Manchester after receiving a six-figure investment for its Broadstone Engage platform.

The city centre-based company, creator of an online recruitment marketplace for jobseekers and employers in the private security industry, secured the £200k boost through private equity firm Maven and the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

Broadstone’s founder, director Tom Pickersgill, said: “We are proud to be the first Manchester-based business to receive this funding and have exciting plans ahead.

“The private security industry is a £5bn marketplace, with over 400k individuals working in the sector, but it has a high turnover rate which creates a constant recruitment challenge, not to mention vetting.”

He continued: “Phase one will see us build a market leading platform, which is set for launch in February 2018. By 2020 we are aiming to attract over 60k individuals by working with some of the UK’s leading private security employers on the platform.

“We also hope to bring 50 full-time jobs to Manchester to help deliver this and are currently focusing on growth of our product teams.”

Speaking further, Tom praised the Maven team as “extremely supportive” throughout the funding process.

Maven investment manager James Darlington commented: “We are delighted to support Broadstone as it seeks to expand its presence in the market. Broadstone’s unique service offering to the private security market is something that excites us and we are optimistic about its uptake by companies and users alike.

“We are also extremely pleased to be backing the management team which is capable of capitalising on the opportunity and driving the business forward.”