SAN FRANCISCO, June 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SAN FRANCISCO, CA — June 24, 2026 — Riviera Partners, the world’s leading executive search firm specializing in technology leadership, today announced the acquisition of Lateral Labs, a specialty search firm serving top AI startups.
The acquisition comes as companies continue to face challenges meeting the demands of AI-enabled organizations. With the addition of Lateral Labs, Riviera Partners will be able to help AI companies meet their challenges throughout their growth journey, providing executive and technical talent discovery from seed-stage startups to IPOs.
Lateral Labs partners with some of the most demanding technology teams in AI, including Cursor, Celebrities, Runway, Scale AI, and Luma Labs.
Its built-in, retained, and incidental search models meet the unique demands of machine learning and AI research roles through deep domain knowledge, talent relationships, and repeatable processes to support high-growth startups and most critical hires. The company was founded in 2024 by founder and CEO Rob Infantino, a veteran recruiter at leading AI labs such as OpenAI and Amazon Web Services.
“Our research shows that only 2% of companies are organizationally ready to adopt AI, and that gap is largely determined by talent,” said Kyle Langworthy, partner and head of the AI, ML, and data practice at Riviera Partners. “This acquisition will give companies even deeper access to the most in-demand AI and machine learning talent their businesses need.”
“The people who build great AI are rare and in high demand, and reaching them requires real relationships, infrastructure, and know-how,” said Rob Infantino, Founder and CEO of Lateral Labs. “Together, Riviera Partners and Lateral Labs can support adoption across the AI company lifecycle, from initial technology adoption to IPO, across research, science, infrastructure, engineering, product, and leadership roles.”
About Riviera PartnersRiviera Partners is a global executive search firm specializing in technology and product leadership. With more than 20 years of experience and a unique platform that combines deep recruiting expertise and data-driven insights, Riviera is the go-to talent partner for venture capital, private equity, and public companies. For more information, please visit rivierapartners.com.
About Lateral Lab
Lateral Labs provides bespoke recruitment solutions for AI startups, operating as a built-in extension of our clients’ teams. Founded by former AI Lab practitioners, Lateral combines rigorous search methodologies with deep machine learning expertise to help startups build great technology teams. For more information, please visit larate-labs.com.
