Aquent
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Aquent firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aquent
- Legal name
- Aquent LLC
- Website
- https://aquent.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aquent industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Staffing Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Global / Multi-Country RPO (BPACABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industry-Specific RPO (e.g., Healthcare, IT, Engineering) (BPACABAF)
Keywords
Where Aquent is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Aquent business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Temporary Staffing Services: Placement of contingent talent for temporary needs, providing skilled professionals for projects ranging from quick deliverables to long-term engagements. Revenue generated through markup on contractor wages.
- Contract to Hire: Temp-to-perm hiring model with 90-day assessment period. Clients can evaluate talent before making permanent commitments. Conversion to permanent placement generates additional revenue.
- Permanent Recruitment: Direct hire placement services for strategic and critical roles. Dedicated consultants source, vet, and place candidates in permanent positions with comprehensive support through offer and onboarding.
- Employer of Record (EOR): Payroll transfer services where Aquent becomes the employer of record. Talent are W-2 employees of Aquent while working at client companies. Revenue generated through payroll administration and benefits management.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom staffing solutions tailored to client needs |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Aquent product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aquent is a global creative staffing firm that supplies Fortune 500 clients with marketing, creative, and design talent through four primary engagement models: Temporary Staffing, Contract-to-Hire, Permanent Recruitment, and Employer of Record services. The firm combines proprietary AI-enabled matching technology with dedicated recruiter teams to source, vet, and place contingent and permanent creative professionals.
Product overview
Aquent is a creative staffing company offering a portfolio of services centered around connecting businesses with elite marketing and design talent. The core service offerings include Temporary Staffing (for project-based and scalable workforce needs), Contract to Hire (with a 90-day assessment period), Permanent Recruitment (direct hire placement), and Employer of Record (payroll and compliance services). These services are supported by proprietary recruitment technology and the company's own recruiters. The portfolio includes sub-brands: Skill (AI-enabled staffing with patented machine-matching technology), Aquent Studios, Aquent RoboHead, and Aquent Scout.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Skill: Technology-driven staffing agency sibling company leveraging patented AI-enabled machine-matching technology for recruiting.
- Aquent Studios
- Aquent Scout
- Aquent RoboHead
Products and services
- Temporary Staffing Provides project-based and contingent marketing, creative, and design talent for client teams. Allows clients to scale their workforce up or down quickly, including during hiring freezes or peak demand periods, with talent able to start on short notice for deliverables ranging from quick tasks to long-term engagements.
- Contract to Hire 90-day assessment engagement model that allows clients to evaluate a contractor's skills, work style, and performance before converting them to permanent hires. Functions as a low-risk 'test drive' for both client and talent, with conversion fees applied at permanent placement.
- Permanent Recruitment Direct hire placement service combining consultative recruiter support with proprietary recruiting technology for strategic and critical permanent roles. Dedicated consultants source, vet, and place candidates with comprehensive support through offer and onboarding, with placements backed by a guarantee.
- Employer of Record Payroll transfer service where Aquent becomes the employer of record for client-engaged talent, handling compliance, payroll, and benefits administration. Talent receive industry-leading benefits including health insurance, 401(k), and paid sick leave, with weekly pay and benefits eligibility starting at 20 hours per week.
Quantifiable outcome
- 400+ talent placed at Google across 15 divisions
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Aquent
Customer profileNamed customers25 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Aquent technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Aquent partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- SkillcoreSkill is a technology-driven staffing agency and sibling company of Aquent, both owned and operated by the same parent organization. Skill leverages patented machine-matching technology for AI-enabled recruiting services. Both entities share personal data and process it jointly to deliver recruitment and employment services to job seekers.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Aquent competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Robert Half International: Largest US-based staffing firm operating across finance, technology, legal, and creative through The Creative Group subsidiary. Operates a permanent recruitment and contract staffing model comparable to Aquent, though with broader industry coverage and publicly traded discipline.
- Randstad: Global staffing leader with dedicated creative and marketing divisions (Randstad Creative). Comparable to Aquent on global reach and enterprise client base, though operating across many additional verticals including IT, finance, and industrial.
- ManpowerGroup: Global staffing firm with creative, marketing, and digital capabilities under its portfolio. Comparable to Aquent on multinational service delivery and enterprise account coverage, but operates across broader verticals.
- Insight Global: Large US staffing firm with capabilities in creative, marketing, and IT staffing. Comparable scale and enterprise client focus to Aquent, though broader in vertical coverage and primarily US-centric in operations.
Direct peers
- The Creative Group (TCG): Robert Half subsidiary dedicated exclusively to creative, marketing, and design staffing, providing temporary, contract-to-hire, and permanent placement services. Directly comparable to Aquent in service offering, target customer base (Fortune 500 marketing teams), and pricing model.
- Creative Circle: Specialized creative, marketing, and digital staffing agency with services spanning contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire placements. Closest head-to-head competitor to Aquent in the US creative staffing market with similar customer base and service model.
- 24 Seven Talent: Specialized staffing firm focused on creative, marketing, digital, and e-commerce talent with services across contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire. Directly competes with Aquent on placements in design, content, and UX roles for enterprise clients.
- Mondo: Digital marketing, creative, and technology staffing agency offering contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire placements. Highly comparable to Aquent on customer profile (enterprise marketing teams) and creative/digital talent focus.
- Toptal: Freelance talent marketplace with a substantial creative, design, and marketing talent network serving enterprise clients. Competes with Aquent on the contract engagement side, particularly for shorter-duration and project-based creative work, though via a marketplace model rather than dedicated recruiting.
Emerging players
- Upwork: Public freelance marketplace with a large creative, design, and writing talent pool. Represents the lower-cost, self-service alternative to Aquent's high-touch dedicated recruiter model, particularly for SMB clients and individual project hires.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Aquent social profiles
Digital presenceAquent compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Aquent financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aquent leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Aquent subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Aquent funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aquent M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A4 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Aquent
What does Aquent do?
Aquent is a global creative staffing firm that supplies Fortune 500 clients with marketing, creative, and design talent through four primary engagement models: Temporary Staffing, Contract-to-Hire, Permanent Recruitment, and Employer of Record services. The firm combines proprietary AI-enabled matching technology with dedicated recruiter teams to source, vet, and place contingent and permanent creative professionals.
Is Aquent a public or private company?
Aquent is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Aquent founded?
Aquent was founded in 1987. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Aquent based?
Aquent is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Aquent make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Temporary Staffing Services are the primary driver. The others are contract to Hire, permanent Recruitment and employer of Record (EOR).
Who are Aquent's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Robert Half International, Randstad, ManpowerGroup and Insight Global. Direct peers are The Creative Group (TCG), Creative Circle, 24 Seven Talent, Mondo and Toptal. Upwork is listed as an emerging player.
Does Aquent have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aquent.
What industry is Aquent in?
Aquent's product category is Creative Staffing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACABAE, Global / Multi-Country RPO, with a secondary code of BPACABAF, Industry-Specific RPO (e.g., Healthcare, IT, Engineering). Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.