Talent is the
Alpha Signal
Deep tech data intelligence that
transforms investment and recruitment.
Zeki Data is a UK-based data intelligence company providing the most accurate human-capital and organisational talent diagnostic data available.
Our proprietary datasets track millions of scientists, engineers, and innovators worldwide.
Co-founded by Tom Hurd, a global counterintelligence expert and former UK Homeland Security senior advisor, Zeki applies counter-terrorism-grade analytics to business, helping clients forecast innovation potential and manage risk.
ZEKI DATA'S PRODUCTS
Talent Diagnostics
Concise, on-demand, decision-ready reports built on Zeki's data and skill for insights, delivered at speed for investment and due diligence.
Talent Mapping
Systematically identify, track and profile high value research and Go-To-Market talent to inform investment and growth decisions, with structured intelligence and objective scoring.
Zeki Talent Market
An invitation-only recruitment platform for scale-up companies and exceptional engineering, product and Go-To-Market talent.
LATEST REPORT
Quant Talent Diagnostic
Big Tech Is Winning the Battle for Quants
As the market races to secure top mathematicians, new players are entering the space and competition for this rare talent is intensifying.
Bellwethers of AI
OpenAI, Anthropic & Mistral
The Canaries In AI’s Coal Mine—And What They’re Telling Us
As billions pour into generative AI, three companies stand as the clearest indicators of where the industry is heading. These reports unpack how OpenAI, Anthropic, and Mistral signal the strength—or strain—of the AI boom, and what their trajectories tell us about the market’s future.
Zeki is a trusted source.
"Hurd of the talent-tracking firm Zeki was in India meeting with senior government officials and tech leaders when the H-1B announcement was made. “They were delighted,” he says. His data suggest that 36% of the top AI talents globally are in the U.S., with about 6% in the U.K. and another 6% in Germany – numbers that have remained static during the past decade. India’s share, however, has jumped from 4% to 7%."
"Hurd notes that there are now significant differences in talent acquisition strategies, which are also reflected in the attrition rates of tech companies. 'Anthropic considers very carefully who it needs. The company doesn't just hire anyone; it plans and structures very precisely how it wants to develop the company.'"
"According to Zeki Data’s 2025 State of AI Talent Report... smaller companies with fewer than 50 employees have been increasing their share of the global talent pool in spite of the rockstar salaries being offered by the Big Tech companies. These startups accounted for 19% of the top AI talent, identified by Zeki, in 2024 compared with 12% in 2019."
"Data from the research firm Zeki suggests that M&S, Co-op and Harrods have cut corners on their in-house cybersecurity teams over the past decade."
"Researchers increasingly want to work on meaningful problems. Since 2015 the number of them joining the health-care sector each year has increased 20-fold, according to Zeki (which may explain why Google is working on Med-PaLM 2, an AI doctor)."
"According to the Zeki State of AI Talent Report, European defence companies are targeting top engineers as even established firms shift focus from hardware to software for everything from drones to troop-tracking technology."
"Overall, the 10,000 small companies in Zeki’s database hire more top AI talent than the big five combined. 'The bigger, slower story is the shifting sands beneath the big five as the AI world deepens and diversifies away from the US,' says Tom Hurd, Zeki’s co-founder."
"London is becoming the epicenter for AI safety, boosted by the presence of Google DeepMind. Europe and the Gulf States are doubling down on their talent retention efforts as countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia build out their AI infrastructure and energy sector to support AI."
"The scarcity of talent has forced companies to approach hiring creatively... For instance, Zeki Data discovered Anthropic has been hiring researchers with theoretical physics backgrounds, and other AI companies have hired individuals with quantum computing backgrounds."
"'The hiring of Mustafa Suleyman fits the longstanding trend of big US tech hiring top UK AI talent,' says Tom Hurd, Zeki’s chief executive. 'But in the last two years, the UK has started to attract more top AI talent than it loses, especially top female AI scientists and engineers.'"
Talent datasets and insights that drive decisions.
At Zeki, we deliver accurate, in-depth intelligence that gives investment teams a clearer view of organisational health and future performance, while equipping talent teams with the insight they need to hire the best teams.
Our analysis goes beyond high‑level datasets. We help companies understand the underlying dynamics that drive organisational outcomes: workforce composition, hiring behaviour, skills capability, talent gaps, and opportunities for optimisation. Whether assessing a company’s trajectory or planning a recruitment strategy, Zeki provides the evidence needed for sharper, faster, and more confident decision‑making.
How is Zeki Data uniquely positioned to help your organisation?
From top AI labs to VCs and quant firms, Zeki’s clients rely on our talent intelligence to make investment and recruitment decisions at speed and with accuracy.
For Investors
Get a data-driven view of execution capability and talent quality before you commit. Make go or no-go calls with insights on team strength and scale-up readiness.
For Scale-Up Talent Teams
Evidence-led matching for scale-ups and exceptional engineering, product and go-to-market talent.
Big Tech & Enterprise Talent Teams
Identify, track and profile high value research and go-to-market talent to make recruitment strike and growth decisions.
Zeki reveals hidden talent.
Zeki’s data is sourced from over 30,000 publicly available sources. Using a rigorous data verification proces, we select, score and track talent with a proven record of testing the boundaries of science and engineering – we call this Talent Alpha.
DELIVERED FORTNIGHTLY
Zeki Insights Newsletter
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