The AI talent war is becoming a critical issue for startups and a defining factor for reviewing their hiring strategies. The findings from a recent report by Qubit Labs on the leading AI developer hubs indicate that businesses seeking a high concentration of AI expertise tend to choose Europe and Latin America to meet their AI talent needs. Rich AI talent ecosystems and competitive rates compared to the UK are not the only reasons why their talent hunt now spans Western and Eastern Europe, as well as Brazil.

Regions to find the strongest AI talent pools

The United Kingdom, home to DeepMind and other AI giants, is a leading AI powerhouse. The UK has approximately 60,000 AI developers and boasts 2,361 AI companies, driving innovation in the healthcare, fintech, and computer vision sectors. By 2035, the UK’s AI market is estimated to reach a value of over $1 trillion. Thus, AI will remain the dominant force in the economy thanks to huge investments and job creation. However, the IT talent shortage, high salary expectations, and strict compliance requirements make it challenging to recruit AI talent.

“Any founders that are not looking beyond their local region are, at best, paying over the odds for talent as they try to outcompete their peers. At worst, they are limiting their growth potential by not being able to scale,” says Victor Botev, CTO, Iris.ai.

This is why more startups are widening their search. From Eastern Europe to Latin America, many firms are turning to regions that are rapidly becoming AI hubs – and magnets for the world’s most ambitious companies. Eastern Europe is a leading region that gives startups a decision-making edge.

Poland, Romania, and Ukraine guarantee access to over 87,500 AI engineers, and UK startups can hire AI specialists in ~34-38 days under GDPR and local data protection frameworks, securing a competitive advantage. Tier 1 talent in the region demonstrates vast specialisation in NLP, computer vision, LLM, GenAI, and data science. Local AI engineers demonstrate high English proficiency, possess robust technical education, and are well-embedded in the startup ecosystem, with many working across multiple ventures in the country. All governments implement national strategies to support AI innovation and growth, ensuring their countries remain competitive in the global landscape and foster first-class AI talent.

By sourcing talent in Eastern Europe, British startups gain access to experts with impeccable technical proficiency and a cultural alignment that is perfect for the West. Local AI engineers will work in the necessary time zone to guarantee seamless collaboration and timely delivery.

Along with Eastern European countries, Brazil is an emerging AI hotspot, boasting ~12,000 AI developers, 350 AI companies and startups, and 220,000 graduates produced annually. A local workforce possesses unique knowledge of the latest AI and ML tools, specializing in ML, NLP, and AI applications for fintech.

The true cost of hiring AI talent

The UK is among the countries in Western Europe with the highest AI salaries. For instance, a mid-level AI specialist in the UK earns $6,000 or more per month. Eastern European countries and Brazil offer, on average, $3,900 per month, with Poland commanding the highest wage of $4,600 or more per month. The average AI developer salary in Eastern Europe and Brazil is ~ 35% lower than in the UK.

Speaking of LLM developers, one of the best-paid AI roles, the UK has an 8,000-strong talent pool, with mid-level experts earning a monthly salary of over $6,000, one of the highest rates in Europe. The CEE market is more attractive in terms of compensation trends. Top Eastern European hubs offer $3,000 to $4,500 and more to LLM engineers, whereas Brazil provides a monthly salary of $3,300 or more. The average salary for an LLM engineer in the CEE countries and Brazil is ~ 40.8% lower compared to the rates in the UK.

Data scientists in Brazil and top Eastern European AI hubs receive $3,500 to $5,000 per month, whereas the same specialists in the UK command ~ 35.3% higher salaries – the monthly pay for data scientists is over $6,800 there.

Thus, tapping into Eastern Europe’s AI talent enables UK startups to reduce costs while gaining a competitive edge in the AI silicon talent wars. Even better, they gain partners who share cultural values, work in sync across time zones, and bring lasting stability to fast-scaling teams.

Channel strategies to build high-performance AI teams

“Today, the AI talent race in the tech job market is intensifying. Finding AI specialists is extremely challenging, especially for senior-level roles. Our experience shows that startups thrive only when they are ready to consider various alternatives and assemble a core development team consisting of middle and junior specialists. Besides, upskilling mid-level experts in key areas and training AI engineers in junior roles can help them achieve remarkable cost-effectiveness, build a loyal team of next-gen developers, and address potential AI talent gaps proactively,” says Iva Kozlovska, CEO, Qubit Labs, a tech expert with over 20 years of experience, and a startup mentor at AC Accelerator and the Visa She’s Next Grant Program 2025.

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