Growth Story

Periscope Holdings built eProcurement software for the public sector, helping government agencies reduce waste in how they buy goods and services. The company grew from a self-funded startup into the leading public-sector procurement platform in North America.

The Inflection Point

Building a team in government procurement software meant competing for a narrow pool of people who combined the right technical skills with a genuine interest in public-sector work.

As a lean, self-funded startup, Periscope needed a talent acquisition strategy partner that could help assemble that team while leadership stayed focused on building the business. They also needed a partner who understood the niche well enough to find people who fit both the work and the culture.

What the Next Stage Required

Periscope needed a repeatable approach to talent acquisition that could fill key roles across the company without pulling leadership away from the core business, draw on deep market knowledge in a specialized industry, and provide continuity as the company moved through investment and two acquisitions.

How We Helped

Talent acquisition strategy

Joined Periscope in its early, self-funded years and filled more than 30 roles over a decade across business development, marketing, HR, operations, client success, product, software development, and finance.

Market intelligence

Ran ongoing analysis of competitors and adjacent companies so candidates could be identified accurately in a narrow market.

Scalable hiring process

Built a consistent hiring process tied to a flexible cost structure, letting Periscope outsource the recruiting behind most of its growth while managing cost.

Transition support

Supported continuity of talent through the Parthenon Capital investment and the eventual acquisition by MDF.

Business Impact

Over a ten-year partnership, we filled more than 30 key roles, many of them leaders who stayed through and beyond the transactions. Periscope was acquired by Parthenon Capital in 2014 and by Canadian MDF in 2021 for more than $200M, growing into the leading public-sector procurement platform in North America. The relationship continued with the founder into his later work as an investor.

Client Perspective

quotes

512Financial (Formerly HireBetter) has been my strategic partner for over 10 years. The guidance, market intelligence, and quality of talent they provided to my team and me were the differentiator. The partnership helped our company scale, attract investment by a leading growth-oriented private equity firm, and ultimately led to the transaction that created the leading eProcurement solution in North America.

Brian Utley, Managing Partner, AV Capital; former President & CEO, Periscope Holdings