From Seed Stage to Nasdaq
About
Solovis was a Dallas-based fintech platform serving institutional investors with multi-asset class portfolio management, analytics, and reporting across public and private markets. Backed by venture funding, the company grew rapidly over several years before being acquired by Nasdaq and integrated into the eVestment group to expand Nasdaq’s investment analytics capabilities.
Testimonial
“I highly recommend ISC’s recruitment services. They were instrumental in leading our talent acquisition practice and helping me grow Solovis, which was ultimately acquired by Nasdaq. They provided a scalable and cost-effective solution for finding top talent, which was a key factor in the company’s success.”
When Solovis received its seed funding, the company needed a way to scale its team quickly and strategically while conserving resources.
ISC partnered with Solovis to design and run a complete talent acquisition function, operating as the company’s internal resource for all hiring needs. This partnership transformed Solovis’ approach to talent; creating a scalable system that supported growth through multiple funding rounds and ultimately prepared the company for its next chapter.
By the time Solovis was acquired by Nasdaq, it had built a strong culture and talent foundation, positioning it for continued success as part of a global leader in investment analytics.
The Challenge
At the time of its seed funding, Solovis had just 13 employees, no HR infrastructure, and no formal hiring processes. The company needed to scale quickly to meet market demand but had to do so cost-effectively and without the overhead of building an internal recruiting team.
Traditional recruitment options like contingency, retained search, or hiring a full-time recruiter were either too expensive or too restrictive for an early-stage company. Beyond filling roles, Solovis also needed guidance on compliance, job design, and interview workflows to ensure a scalable and repeatable process.
Without a strategic and cost-conscious approach to talent, the company risked missing growth milestones and losing momentum with investors.
Our Approach
ISC’s partnership with Solovis began with a focus on building the talent acquisition function from the ground up. Rather than acting as an outside recruiting vendor, ISC operated as Solovis’ internal resource for all hiring needs; running the process end-to-end while staying fully aligned with company goals.
The foundation of this approach was ISC’s Workstream model, which provided a scalable and predictable framework for talent acquisition. Solovis was able to flex hiring capacity up or down as needs changed, ensuring the company could respond quickly to growth demands without committing to permanent headcount or expensive contingency fees.
To enable sustainable hiring, ISC implemented a complete infrastructure for recruitment, including:
- A branded applicant tracking system tailored to Solovis’ workflows
- Broad sourcing channels, including LinkedIn Recruiter, job boards, and ISC’s expansive candidate network
- Standardized job descriptions, structured interviews, and compliance guidance
- Compensation benchmark analysis
By embedding these processes and tools directly into Solovis’ operations, ISC created a seamless hiring engine that delivered both speed and precision. This ensured Solovis could meet aggressive hiring milestones while maintaining quality standards — a critical factor in supporting the company’s growth trajectory.
This partnership continued through Solovis’ acquisition by Nasdaq. Throughout the next 9 months, ISC collaborated closely with Nasdaq’s internal talent acquisition team to ensure a smooth transition and support Solovis’ expansion and hiring initiatives as part of Nasdaq’s integration plans.
Results
Over a six-year partnership, ISC helped Solovis grow from 13 employees to more than 150, building out sales, engineering, operations, and other key functions needed to support rapid expansion.
By operating as Solovis’ internal talent acquisition function, ISC delivered hiring outcomes that were both fast and cost-effective:
- 150+ hires from 2014 to 2020
- $3,700 average cost-per-hire, well below industry benchmarks
- 38 days average time-to-fill, keeping growth initiatives on track
ISC’s work also helped strengthen Solovis’ employer brand, contributing to its recognition on Linkedin’s Top Startups list in 2017.
By the time of Solovis’ acquisition by Nasdaq, the company had a scalable talent engine and a strong team in place to support its next phase of growth.
Conclusion
Solovis’ journey from a seed-funded startup to acquisition by Nasdaq highlights how a strong talent strategy can accelerate growth and create long-term value.
By functioning as Solovis’ internal talent acquisition resource, ISC built a scalable, cost-conscious hiring engine that delivered speed, structure, and consistency through every stage of growth. The result was not just filled roles, but a sustainable framework that supported culture, employer brand, and operational readiness for the next chapter.
This case study demonstrates how ISC’s Workstream model enables technology leaders to focus on building their business while knowing their talent function is being run with precision and care.