Unlike open marketplaces like Upwork, we don’t leave you to sift through hundreds of profiles and guess a candidate’s capabilities.

And unlike premium platforms like Toptal, FatCat Remote offers more flexible terms, faster matching, and risk-free hiring without high upfront costs.

Every candidate is vetted for technical ability, communication, remote readiness, and real-world execution, and teams can typically start working with them within days.

Most of our clients are early-stage and scaling tech companies.

Typically they are:

• Startups building their product

• Companies adding engineers to an existing team

• Product teams that want to expand development capacity without running a long recruitment process

• Companies that want to replace an underperforming contractor or previous hire

Many founders come to us when they want to move faster without making expensive hiring mistakes.

Through FatCat Remote, you can find and hire diverse types of roles related to the IT field. From developers, designers, QAs, project managers, product managers and other technical and non-tech roles.

Yes. Many founders work with FatCat Remote when they are building their MVP or early product version.

We can help you find engineers who are comfortable working in early-stage environments, making practical technical decisions, and moving quickly from idea to working product.

Yes. Many companies approach us before the role is fully defined.

During the initial alignment step we help clarify:

• the right seniority level

• the required technical skills

• the scope of the role

This helps avoid common hiring mistakes early-stage teams make.

It’s simple. Fill out a short form outlining your hiring needs. A talent specialist will reach out within 24 hours to walk you through the next steps and begin your search.

Hiring with FatCat Remote is fast, streamlined, and designed for long-term success, not just filling roles.

The typical process looks like this:

1. Tell us your requirements

Tell us what role you're hiring for, your tech stack, ideal experience level, and preferred engagement model (freelance, full-time, direct hire).

1. Get matched with vetted talent

We handpick top candidates who are pre-vetted for technical skills, remote readiness, and who meet the requirements you set.

1. Interview & choose your match

Review candidate profiles, ask questions, or schedule interviews. You stay in control of the final decision.

1. Start working

Once you're ready, you can kick off the collaboration. With our Managed Hire full-time model, you’ll benefit from a trial period, allowing you to evaluate the collaboration without long-term commitment.

Depending on your requirements, FatCat Remote can connect you with skilled professionals within 3 to 10 days, ensuring your project gets started without delay.

Yes, all our candidates have been pre-vetted for your convenience. However, you're more than welcome to conduct an interview to ensure that their skills align with your requirements. Our goal is to reduce the number of candidates you need to interview, not replace your hiring judgment.

We assess candidates across several practical areas, including:

• technical execution and problem solving

• ability to collaborate in a real development workflow

• communication and English proficiency

• experience working remotely

• responsible use of modern development tools, including AI

• soft skills such as teamwork, proactivity, adaptability, and leadership.

Our goal is to introduce engineers who can contribute to real product teams, not just pass tests.

If you want you can learn more about our full vetting process.

Most of our talents are located in Balkan countries - Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and more. This region has become a strong hub for engineering talent and allows good working-hour overlap with both European and North American teams.

We offer two flexible hiring models tailored to your business needs:

• Managed Hire (Full-time or Freelance): You can hire vetted talent through the FatCat Remote platform, either on a full-time or freelance basis. This model includes comprehensive support where we handle everything from compliance and contracts to performance management, enabling you to scale easily without the traditional costs and overheads associated with employment. This includes payroll and legal handling, time tracking, performance reviews, instant and unlimited replacements, a 30-day trial for full-time hires, and even add-ons like equipment, employee benefits, and education.

• Direct Hire (Available only for Full-time Hires): This model allows you to find and connect with the right candidate through our platform, and then hire them directly on your terms, making the candidate a permanent part of your team. We facilitate the matchmaking process, after which you take over. This engagement involves a one-time placement fee, and you have the option to purchase a guarantee for additional security

Managed Hire is best if:

• you want flexibility

• you need to start quickly

• you are still shaping your team structure

• you want lower hiring risk
  

Direct Hire is best if:

• you are building a long-term internal team

• you want a permanent employee

• you already have internal management and hiring processes in place
  

FatCat Remote helps you streamline your operations by managing contracts, payroll, and all legal formalities.

For Managed Hire engagements, we handle:

• contracts

• invoicing

• payment processing

• compliance

• ongoing talent coordination

This allows you and your team to focus on achieving your goals stress-free.

Costs depend on the hiring model.

Managed Hire
You pay a monthly rate that includes the developer’s compensation and our service fee. Pricing depends on the role and seniority.

Direct Hire
You pay a one-time placement fee, typically 10–15% of the candidate’s annual gross salary.

For Managed Hire, FatCat Remote handles invoicing and payment processing. You receive a single monthly invoice, and we manage payments to the developer. This simplifies the operational side of working with remote talent.

No, FatCat Remote doesn't charge any upfront fees to cover any costs associated with recruitment, contracts, or anything else.

If a collaboration doesn’t work as expected, we help identify the issue and find a solution.

In many cases this means finding a replacement candidate so the project can continue without major disruption.

Yes. We offer a trial period so you can evaluate the collaboration before committing long-term.