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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 to various technology careers. After three months as an advisor, Kurt accepted a role as auticon’s Group CEO, developing its six German office locations and expanding into Paris and London. The company added significant 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, and later added 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.

Press Contact

Thank you for your interest in covering auticon. I look forward to speaking with you.

Email: Press (at) auticon.ca

Publications

auticon’s Global Impact Reports

2024 Global Impact Report

2023 Global Impact Report

2022 Global Impact Report

2021 Global Impact Report (Published 2022)

2021 Global Impact Report (Languages: Italian,  English, and German)

2021 Global Impact Report (Languages: French, English, German)

2020 Global Impact Report (Languages: French, English, German)

auticon + Deloitte Report, “Embracing Neurodiversity at Work” 2022

A new Deloitte Canada and auticon Canada report finds employment barriers and a lack of workplace support for Canada’s autistic community and offers strategies to employers to create more inclusive workspaces for neurodiverse workers. The joint report surveyed 454 adults across the country.

2022 auticon + Deloitte Report, “Embracing Neurodiversity at Work” (English)

 

News Coverage

With New Funding, Auticon Looks to Grow Job Opportunities for Autistic

dot.LA

auticon Canada kicks off its 2022 tech recruitment campaign

IT World Canada

auticon releases annual report on social impact


Consulting.CA

How businesses can embrace autism in the workplace


Virgin Blog

In hiring people with autism, focus on interview process


HR Reporter

A new perspective: How our autistic-majority IT company is weathering the pandemic

IT World Canada

Announcements

Bank of Ireland Leads the Way in Neuroinclusion with Groundbreaking Strategy

auticon’s Neurodiversity at Work Report 2024 auticon’s Impact Report 2024, features a deeper look at neuroinclusion in practice – highlighting the neuroinclusion strategy that the Bank of Ireland has developed and implemented, in partnership with auticon. Launched in March 2024, the strategy is designed to create a thriving workplace for neurodivergent colleagues while reinforcing the power of diverse thinking in driving business success. Chief People Officer Matt Elliott states,  “Good business decisions come from better thought processes that are informed by more views—diversity of thought is critical.”...
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auticon Releases 2024 Impact Report, Showcasing the Power of Workplace Neurodiversity

auticon, a global expert in the inclusion of autistic professionals, has released its 2024 Impact Report, reaffirming its commitment to building workplaces where neurodivergent individuals thrive. Drawing on years of expertise in supporting autistic talent, auticon is driving inclusion for all neurodivergent professionals, ensuring that workplaces benefit from the full spectrum of diverse thinking. 
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auticon Announces Group CEO Transition: Kurt Schöffer Retires, Luke Williams OBE Appointed as New Group CEO

auticon, the award-winning, global social enterprise empowering client organizations to become neuroinclusive, today announced that Group CEO Kurt Schöffer retired on December 31, 2024. Luke Williams, OBE, has succeeded Schöffer as auticon's Group CEO.
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Minimizing Bias: Creating a Fair and Inclusive Interview Process

In today’s competitive job market, organizations increasingly recognize the importance of identifying areas of bias in their hiring practices. Unconscious biases—often rooted in mistaken, inaccurate, or incomplete information—can significantly impact diversity efforts and prevent companies from finding the best talent. Establishing a Fair FoundationThe journey to a bias-free interview process begins long before the actual interview. Here a few key strategies to keep in mind to level the playing field from the start: Objective Evaluation CriteriaOne of the most effective...
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Navigating Autistic Burnout: Strategies to support autistic employees

Burnout is a term many people are familiar with. It happens when someone feels exhausted, overwhelmed, and unable to meet life’s constant demands. However, there is a specific type of burnout that affects autistic people called autistic burnout. While it shares some similarities, autistic burnout has unique features that must be understood to provide effective and practical support for autistic employees. In this blog, we will explain autistic burnout and offer strategies to support autistic colleagues in the workplace, including...
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Creating Inclusive Job Posts to Attract Neurodivergent Candidates

Four Tips to Make Your Job Postings More Accessible As a leading employer of autistic professionals, we know firsthand the value neurodivergent talent can bring to the workplace. However, the traditional job application process can often present significant barriers for this talented pool of candidates. From overly complex job descriptions to interviews that fail to accommodate sensory or communication needs, the standard hiring process frequently poses barriers and is ill-adapted to neurodivergent job seekers. This results in many qualified candidates...
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