Tuesday 17 June, 2025 – In an exciting development for the hospitality industry, entrepreneurs Sam Brown and Nick Holroyd-Doveton have secured £800,000 in funding to launch their new venture, Candid Hospitality. This innovative matchmaking platform aims to revolutionize recruitment in the sector.
The funding was provided by NPIF II – Mercia Equity Finance, managed by Mercia Ventures and part of the Northern Powerhouse Fund II (NPIF II), as well as by Haatch and an angel investor. This marks the first NPIF II equity investment in Hull.
Both Brown and Holroyd-Doveton have previously experienced success in the hospitality tech industry. Brown was a director at Airship Services, which was backed by Mercia and the first NPIF and was sold to Zonal in 2022. Holroyd-Doveton co-founded Omnifi, which was sold to Access Group in 2021.
Candid, based in Hull, was developed with input from leading hospitality operators and suppliers. It offers a unique approach to recruitment, allowing candidates to build an anonymous profile and view opportunities, while employers can find the right people without sifting through multiple CVs. The platform uses a matching system based on skills and values to ensure that candidates not only meet job requirements but also fit into the company’s culture. Employers pay a flat monthly fee to recruit candidates at all levels, from front of house to boardroom.
Since its launch in February this year, Candid has already gained over 3,000 candidates and 100 brands, including Big Table Group, Loungers, Honest Burgers, Turtle Bay, Punch Pubs, Flight Club, and The Alchemist. It has resulted in over 700 successful matches. The company plans to double its team from seven to 14 employees in the next two years.
Nick Holroyd-Doveton, co-founder of Candid, said: “Having spent years in hospitality, both Sam and I know the challenges of recruitment. Candidates are often afraid to look for a better job in case their current boss finds out, while employers spend huge sums on new hires only to find they are the wrong fit. We felt the process must be ripe for change.
“Using our industry contacts, we spoke to 60 operators and over 100 candidates and developed Candid based on their feedback. It uses the 3Cs – culture, competencies, and compensation – which are key to successful hires. The anonymity protects candidates and removes subconscious bias, and enables employers to access ‘passive hires’ who may not be active job seekers but may be interested if the right role came along.”
According to a report by the trade body UK Hospitality, the hospitality sector is the UK’s third-largest employer, accounting for around 3.5 million jobs directly and with a further 3 million in the supply chain.
Will Schaffer, Investment Director with Mercia Ventures, added: “Having worked with Sam previously during his time at Airship, we are pleased to back him and Nick in their latest venture. Candid offers an innovative solution to the challenges of hospitality recruitment and has gained rapid traction. The funding will enable the team to build on its initial success and to drive further growth.”
Lizzy Upton, senior investment manager at the British Business Bank, said: “The hospitality sector plays a vital role in the UK economy and is an industry built on people. Candid Hospitality is showing how innovative businesses in Yorkshire are using technology to tackle longstanding challenges and unlock new opportunities for growth. Through NPIF II, we’re proud to support these businesses and ambitious founders like Sam and Nick as they innovate and help strengthen one of the UK’s most important sectors.”
Jonathan Keeling, Partner at Haatch, said: “We’ve backed over 150 startups at Haatch, and it’s rare to see this level of product-market fit so early on. Sam and Nick are proven founders with deep hospitality experience, and Candid is already delivering results for some of the UK’s most respected operators. We believe this business can redefine how hospitality recruitment is done, putting culture and competence at the heart of hiring.”
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) is a £660 million fund that covers the entire North of England. It provides loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million to support small and medium-sized businesses in starting up, scaling up, or staying ahead.
The purpose of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunities for new and growing businesses across the North of England. It aims to increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for the North’s smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.
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