Auticon

Auticon
Company typeLimited Company
IndustryInformation technology consulting
Founded2011
HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
Key people
Kurt Schoffer (Group CEO)
ServicesQuality assurance
Software testing
Data analysis
Number of employees
300 (200 on autism spectrum)[1]
Websiteauticon.com

Auticon is an international information technology consulting firm that employs adults on the autism spectrum as IT consultants. Founded in 2011, the company operates in eight countries and offers services including quality assurance, software testing, and data analysis.[2]

The company reported in 2020 that 200 of its 300 employees are on the autism spectrum.[1] According to a 2019 report, 90% of autistic Auticon employees were unemployed before joining the company, with half unemployed for more than 5 years.[2]

History

Auticon was founded in 2011 by Dirk Müller-Remus, whose son is on the autism spectrum.[2] The company received initial investment from the Munich-based Ananda Social Venture Fund.[2] The launch was inspired by Belgian company Passwerk, which also employs people on the autism spectrum.[2]

The company's employment model has received international attention. In 2013, Auticon presented at the G8 Social Impact Investment Forum in London, where it was featured alongside other social enterprises addressing employment challenges.[3] International media outlets including CNN, BBC News, and Al Jazeera have covered the company's approach to autism employment.[4]

Expansion

In October 2016, Auticon received investment from Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group and the UK charity Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to support its UK expansion.[5] Branson stated: "Employment rates amongst autistic adults are a hugely challenging social issue in the UK and globally."[5]

In 2018, Auticon acquired MindSpark, a Santa Monica, California-based company founded in 2013 by Gray Benoist, whose two sons are on the autism spectrum.[4]

As of 2019, the company operates in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, and Italy.[2]

Business model

Auticon exclusively employs adults on the autism spectrum as IT consultants, providing them with support through job coaches and adapted work environments.[1] The company reported that 32% of its consultants have a Master's degree or higher, despite 85% having been unemployed or underemployed before joining.[6]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Auticon's CEO David Aspinall wrote in CNBC that the company's autistic employees adapted well to remote work, noting that "people with autism often prefer to interface via a precise text or email rather than verbal or face-to-face conversations."[1]

The employment model has been studied in the context of neurodiversity in the workplace. A 2017 Harvard Business Review article on "Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage" cited companies including SAP, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, and Microsoft as examples of organizations reforming HR processes to access neurodiverse talent.[7]

Awards

  • 2013: IQ Award[2]
  • 2014: BITKOM Innovator's Pitch[8]
  • 2015: Deutsche Bank, Land der Ideen[9]
  • 2015: New Work Award[10]
  • 2015: Sonderpreis, Deutscher Gründerpreis[11]
  • 2017: Social Enterprise UK Awards, One to Watch Award[12]
  • 2019: Milestone Autism Resources "Visionary Employer Award"[13]
  • 2020: Fast Company World Changing Ideas[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Aspinall, David (April 16, 2020). "Our IT team is autistic. That's helping us survive the coronavirus". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Auticon makes waves by exclusively employing autistic IT consultants". Consultancy.uk. February 14, 2019. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  3. ^ "Social Impact Investment Forum: outputs and actions". GOV.UK. July 30, 2013. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  4. ^ a b Wakefield, Jane (January 2, 2019). "Technology: The firm whose staff are all autistic". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  5. ^ a b "Richard Branson invests in Auticon to help place more autistic people in IT jobs". Tech Monitor. October 21, 2016. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  6. ^ "Autistic Tech Employer Demonstrates Power of Social Innovation in New Impact Report". Auticon US. May 19, 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  7. ^ Austin, Robert D.; Pisano, Gary P. (May–June 2017). "Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage". Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  8. ^ "auticon und Talwerk sind die Sieger des Innovators' Pitch 2014" (press release) (in German). BITKOM. Archived from the original on 2015-01-05. Retrieved 2015-06-29.
  9. ^ "Ausgezeichnete Orte 2015: auticon – Berufsperspektiven für Menschen im Autismus-Spektrum" (in German). Land der Ideen. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  10. ^ "New Work Award 2015 - Platz 1: auticon GmbH (Kategorie KMUs und Start-Ups)". YouTube (video, 1 min 22 secs) (in German). XING. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
  11. ^ "Der Schatzsucher: Dirk Müller-Remus, auticon GmbH, Berlin Sonderpreis des Deutschen Gründerpreises 2015" (in German). Retrieved 2015-07-13.
  12. ^ "Winners of the 2017 UK Social Enterprise Awards". Social Enterprise UK. Archived from the original on 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
  13. ^ "Home".
  14. ^ "World Changing Ideas Awards 2020: Corporate Social Responsibility Finalists and Honorable Mentions". 28 April 2020.
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