WoW Woman in Health Tech Recruitment I Clare Cooper, founder of Storm3

Clare Cooper is the founder of Storm3, a recruitment firm focused purely on placing technical talent into HealthTech startups and scale-ups in London, Europe, and North America, with a focus on FemTech.

Storm3 are specialists in Global HealthTech recruitment, connecting organisations with the talent to drive their mission. Launched in 2020 to service the HealthTech industry, Storm3 connects senior talent with businesses at the forefront of healthcare technology innovation. From genomics, telemedicine, FemTech, surgical robotics to smart devices and apps focused on our physical and mental health; investment into HealthTech continues to soar globally.

Storm3’s mission is to be integral to the digital revolution and provide highly specialised teams across Data & Analytics, Engineering and DevOps, Product Management, Sales & Marketing, and Finance & Operations. We are a leading provider of HealthTech-focused information to clients for market compensation and best practice in diversity, equity & inclusion, hiring, and retention.

Clare, tell us a bit about your background and your projects so far.

I am the founder of Storm3, a recruitment firm focused purely on placing technical talent into HealthTech startups and scale-ups in London, Europe, and North America, with a focus on FemTech. Prior to setting up Storm3 in February, I spent 11 years with a different tech recruitment company; living in London, San Francisco, New York, and Berlin across that time. I set up the business with a mission to revolutionize the health tech recruitment industry. We have a big emphasis on sourcing diverse talent – and a goal for 50% of all technology placements to be female.

How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?

I joined the industry straight out of university, following a maths degree. When I joined the industry there were many parallels with finance or tech – I entered a very male-dominated environment and navigating that was likely my biggest challenge to date. Whilst on paper my industry is ‘recruitment’ I very much see us as working in the wider tech ecosystem.

How long did it take you to be where you are now? What was the biggest obstacle? What are the challenges of being in the industry you are in? 

I spent 11 years in my previous company, joining at 20 people, and when I left there were 800 employees globally and I was a Senior Director. I moved through the ranks quickly and held a lot of responsibility, but it was not until 2020 when I took a leap of faith and left my role, took a lot of time out, and launched Storm3!

What are your biggest achievements to date?

In 2018 I was named as one of the top 150 most influential females globally in the staffing industry by the Staffing Industry Analysts. That year I launched a number of initiatives and partnerships around diversity in tech and for this to be recognized was something I was very proud of. 

What are the projects you are currently working on?

We launched in February and Storm3 now has 25 employees! As well a doing what we do best, helping tech companies find the best talent, we have a number of projects we are working on in the background all based on diversity, equity, and inclusion. From helping clients identify the talent through sourcing, coaching, and developing candidates from diverse pools. Lastly, we are producing a lot of written content/advice on topics of hiring and interviewing which you can find on our intel page.

Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why? 

Yes yes and yes. We need more women in tech, more females in senior positions, more women STAYING in tech. As recruiters, I think we have such a critical and influential role to play and I am committed to Storm3 taking a lead in the industry here.

What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?

The HealthTech industry is booming, especially areas such as FemTech, Wearables, Mental Health Tech, and Telemedicine, and we want to be at the very heart (excuse the pun) of this. I personally find FemTech a very interesting area, I think it is awesome to see how many female founders there are and how gender diverse a number of the companies already are. There are a lot of interesting conversations that can take place around FemTech – we are currently working on a study to understand the conversation and dynamic of men entering this industry.

What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?

As someone who has recruited candidates into tech for 12 years – my main piece of advice for those looking to move into HealthTech – is to remember that often you do not need ‘HealthTech’ experience – ie you can come from FinTech, AdTech, etc. What is most important is your transferable technical skills and your passion for the company’s mission.

Find out more about Storm3 on their website, and follow them on LinkedIn and Medium.

This interview was conducted by Marija Butkovic, Digital Marketing and PR strategist, founder, and CEO of Women of Wearables. She regularly writes and speaks on topics of wearable tech, fashion tech, IoT, entrepreneurship, and diversity. Follow Marija on Twitter @MarijaButkovic and read her stories for Forbes here.