As an autistic-majority company, we’re a resource for talent. We integrate our technology consultants into client organizations, performing as software developers, data analysts, QA engineers, and more. Clients experience our outstanding autistic professionals first-hand, opening minds and achieving diversity goals.
Our model improves the economic and social conditions of the autistic community with quality careers, unlocking opportunity, and empowering client organisations through actionable neurodiversity training and advisory services. Here, our employees build lifelong careers in technology, discovering personal autonomy and improved self-esteem.
Through auticon Labs, we utilize an entrepreneurial mindset to develop commercial technology solutions to social and environmental challenges faced by autistic professionals, helping them to succeed in the workplace.
We believe affecting change in one life is the starting point for changing society. We therefore measure our social performance through the difference auticon makes to the lives of our autistic colleagues, the impact on our customer organisations, and the role we play in creating awareness of neurodiversity in society.
Between 15-20% of the global population are neurodivergent. 2% are estimated to be autistic. Despite many autistic people being talented, qualified and keen to work, only 29% of autistic people are in full time work. Within the autistic workforce, a vast majority are under-employed, working in jobs that they are over-qualified or over-skilled for.Â
To build a more inclusive world.
Address the inequalities in employment for neurodivergent adults and showcase the strengths of neurodiversity in society.
Our values pervade our daily operations and our relationships internally and to the outside world. They act as rules of conduct and characterise how we do business.
Kurt is one of auticon’s first investors and was appointed CEO in 2013 to grow and expand the social enterprise. Kurt spent 15 years at DNS – a distributor of mid-range computer products in Europe whose customers included Sun Microsystems. As CEO, he led the company to over a billion EUR in sales and a successful acquisition by Arrow Electronics, Inc. in 2005.
Through his experiences at DNS, Kurt became a strong advocate for utilizing the guiding principles of business to make positive changes in the world. As Managing Director of a small investment firm, he was approached by Ananda Social Venture Fund, who invited him to partner in creating Germany’s first fund designed to invest in companies making a social impact. The fund’s first investment was in auticon, where Kurt served as an advisor on the fund’s behalf.
Unicus was founded by Lars Johansson-Kjellerød in Oslo in 2009. Unicus was created with the mission of taking advantage of the positive characteristics of autism to create unique results for our customers and increase the quality of life for his employees. In 2023, Unicus and auticon combined forces to become the world’s largest autistic majority company.
Before starting Unicus, Lars worked in the Nordic financial sector for more than ten years in positions like equity and derivatives sales, proprietary trading, and as a manager for an equity brokerage firm on the Stockholm stock exchange. Lars is an entrepreneurial soul who believes in the impact of business and has a fascination for new solutions.
Lars has an MSc degree in finance from the University of Karlstad.
Markus worked as a Manager at PwC Technology Consulting. Markus grew the German organisation and set up our offices in London and Zurich. He was key to auticon’s international growth and signed our first projects with Henkel, Commerzbank, GSK, Experian, Credit Suisse or Swiss Re.
David is a 20-year veteran of digital marketing, corporate communications, design and brand development. His career experience draws from many sectors, including IT staffing, SaaS, aerospace, entertainment and advertising; from start-ups to high-profile corporations such as Universal Pictures.
Meeta has over 20 years of international experience working with high-growth organisations. Prior to auticon, Meeta co-founded and led MetaValue – a strategy consulting firm. She has previously worked on market development projects in India for tech firms including Adobe, Intel and Ericsson.
Mike is a veteran technologist who joined auticon in 2019. He plays a key role in the application development of our Assessment Tool and Skills Database. He previously led infrastructure for GlaxoSmithKline in Germany.
Kirsty has been with auticon for five years, leading the UK Coaching team and launching the Australia and Ohio teams. Previously, she did PR/content for financial services, tech and fintech industries, and worked as a performance coach. She is a trustee for the mental health charity, Mind.
Mercedes joined auticon in 2022. Beforehand she worked in advertising delivering global B2C campaigns and for fashion and media companies working on B2B growth and internal comms. After years spent leading SEN parent support-groups she was keen to work where she could continue to advocate for neurodivergent people.
Alek brings wealth of business and technical leadership experience. Previously, he spearheaded company’s transformation and implementation of cutting-edge technologies at Acoustic. He worked at IBM on global digital transformation projects and led the regional technical community. Earlier, Alek worked in software development and run his own company.
auticon was founded in Berlin in 2011 by a father wanting better employment opportunities for his autistic son. Autistic professionals were employed as quality assurance consultants, debugging Websites and applications. As Managing Director of a small investment firm, Kurt Schöffer was approached by Ananda Social Venture Fund, who invited him to partner in creating Germany’s first social impact fund. The fund’s first investment was in auticon, where Kurt served as an advisor on the fund’s behalf. For Kurt, this was an opportunity to apply his business acumen to solve the social issue of rising unemployment among autistic adults, who often possess STEM skills applicable in a range of technology careers. After three months as an advisor, Kurt accepted a role as auticon’s Group CEO, later developing its 6 German office locations and expanding into Paris and London. The company added major clients such as BMW and Allianz, and new technology consulting services.
In 2016, Sir Richard Branson’s investment brought international attention to the company as it expanded into Italy and Switzerland. In 2018 auticon acquired two North American autism employers: MindSpark in Los Angeles and Meticulon in Calgary, later adding clients such as Salesforce and Deloitte and surpassing 200+ autistic employees globally. In 2019, auticon opened in Australia with one of the island’s largest employers.
In 2023, auticon and Unicus entered an agreement under which the two companies would unite. The historic deal established a global model for an autistic-majority social enterprise and ESG company, addressing the inequalities in employment for neurodivergent adults. The two combined companies became the largest autistic-majority company in the world, with 81% of its 600 employees on the autism spectrum across 15 countries.
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