The Challenge

Following their successful £8M Series A funding round led by Mercia Ventures and Aramco Ventures in August 2024, Promethean Particles faced a critical scaling challenge. The Nottingham-based climate tech company, which specialises in manufacturing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for carbon capture applications, needed to rapidly expand their 12-person team to meet ambitious growth targets and capitalise on their breakthrough technology.

The hiring challenge was significant:

• Double team size from 12 to 24+ employees

• Specialised roles requiring deep technical expertise

• Competitive market for chemistry, technical and commercial talent

• Urgent timeline to maintain growth momentum post-funding

Solution: Cohort’s Turnkey Hiring Infrastructure

Rather than engaging multiple expensive recruitment agencies, Promethean Particles partnered with Cohort for embedded hiring support - working as part of their team to ensure they hired the right people, on time and within budget. Our scalable, tailored approach provided:

Comprehensive Hiring Support

Cohort successfully recruited across 12 positions in 8 role types:

• Technical Specialists: 2x MOF Synthetic Chemists, Adsorption Specialist, 2x Process Development Engineers, Manufacturing Engineer

• Operations: Chemical Process Operator, HSE Manager, Office Manager, Project Manager

• Commercial: Marketing Consultant, Commercial Director

Embedded Hiring Support

• Marketing: Enhanced their employer brand to attract top chemistry, engineering, operations, and commercial talent in a competitive market

• Search: Proactive candidate sourcing when marketing alone wasn't sufficient

• Process Support: Full management of application reviews, interview coordination, and time-consuming admin tasks

• Systems: Set-up and managed hiring systems for control, visibility, and continuous process improvement

• Interviewing: Partnered with their management team to conduct interviews and make robust hiring decisions

Result

Cost-Effective Solution

• Total cost to Promethean: £36,000 for 12 months of comprehensive support

• Savings achieved: 60% cost reduction compared to traditional recruitment agencies

• Delivery guarantee: We guarantee successful delivery with full refund protection

• Flexible pricing: Scalable support that adapts to changing business needs

Business Impact

The successful scaling of Promethean Particles' team has enabled the company to:

• Accelerate development of their breakthrough MOF manufacturing technology

• Advance multiple carbon capture demonstration projects

• Strengthen their position in the fast-growing climate tech market

• Support their mission to provide cost-effective carbon capture solutions

Successful Team Growth

• 100% hiring success rate - filling all 12 positions

• Rapid scaling from 12 to 24 team members

• Quality hires supporting company's continued growth trajectory