Unicus and auticon came together in 2023, becoming the largest autistic-majority company in the world.
In each case, the company’s origins were inspired by a founder’s vision for improving the lives of autistic professionals and solving a crisis of unemployment. By recognising strong abilities possessed by many autistic people, such as in STEM, pattern matching, detecting software errors, and following complex protocols – career paths in technology became clear.
In 2008, in Oslo, Lars Johansson-Kjellerød founded Unicus to make a difference, he came from the financial industry but saw the business potential in the combination of autism and Information Technology. Unicus first customer was Telenor. Since its inception, Unicus has contributed expertise in software testing, software development and Data engineering and has successful partnerships with, among others, Vattenfall, DNB, Statnett, SEB, H&M, and Equinor.
As part of Ferd’s social entrepreneurship portfolio, the Norwegian investor helped Unicus expand to Sweden in 2017 and later to Finland in 2019, including an investment in the social enterprise Specialisterren in The Netherlands, which operates under a similar model.
In 2023, auticon and Unicus, entered an agreement under which the 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. By the end of 2023, the combined organization had reached 15 countries by opening in Poland and Ireland.
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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)
A new report by Deloitte Canada and auticon Canada finds employment barriers, lack of workplace support for Canada’s autistic community. The joint report surveyed 454 adults across the country.
2022 auticon + Deloitte Report, “Embracing Neurodiversity at Work” (English)
