Gulp

What Gulp does

GULP, operating as Randstad Professional since July 1, 2024, is a German-based specialist staffing and recruitment firm focused on IT, Engineering, and Life Science sectors. The company is a subsidiary of Randstad N.V., the world's largest staffing company publicly listed on Euronext Amsterdam, and operates through 14 branch locations across Germany and Switzerland with more than 360 internal employees. Its core product is a web-based Job and Project Exchange (gulp.de) connecting freelance professionals with project opportunities, currently listing 815 jobs, 581 projects, and 4,876 registered freelancers. Supporting products include GULP Direkt (a self-service freelancer marketplace), GULP Talent Solutions (managed supplier procurement), GULP Corporate (project acquisition for freelancers' own staff), and the Randstad IT Service Desk (24/7 ITIL-based managed IT support).

The company generates revenue through six primary streams: temporary staffing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung), permanent placement (Personalvermittlung), freelance contracting (with a flat 7 Euro service fee per freelancer hour on GULP Direkt), managed IT services, talent solutions, and compliance services. Pricing for enterprise staffing is quote-based and undisclosed; the freelance marketplace charges only on engagement. GTM is sales-led, combining enterprise field sales targeting DAX and Mittelstand companies with inside sales for mid-market clients and self-serve online channels. Customers include Siemens, BMW, Deutsche Telekom, Merck, Continental, Atos, and RUAG International, spanning automotive, defense/aerospace, telecommunications, life science, and IT services. The firm ranked #2 in Germany's Lünendonk IT Workforce Services study and reported 10.4% revenue growth despite challenging market conditions.

Name

Gulp

Legal name

Randstad N.V. (parent/ultimate owner; operating as Randstad Professional / GULP)

Website

https://gulp.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

GULP (now Randstad Professional) is a German specialist staffing firm focused on IT, Engineering, and Life Science, providing temporary staffing, permanent placement, freelance contracting, and managed IT services to enterprise clients across Germany and Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Staffing Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Sourcing Support & RFx Administration (RFI/RFP/RFQ) (BPAAAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Procurement Helpdesk & Stakeholder Support (BPAAAJAD), Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM) Services (BPAEABAA), Program & Project Management (PMO) Consulting (BPAHACAL)

Keywords

• IT staffing services
• Engineering recruitment
• Life science staffing
• Freelance platform
• Personnel services

Headquarters

HQ city

München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Temporary Staffing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung): Providing qualified specialists to companies for temporary assignments. Specialists are permanently employed by Randstad Professional and leased to client companies for specific time periods to cover peak orders, labor shortages, or skill gaps.
2. Permanent Placement (Personalvermittlung): Permanent placement services placing candidates in permanent positions. Comprehensive support from initial inquiry through candidate selection, interviews, and successful placement.
3. Freelance Contracting (Freelancing): Connecting freelance professionals with project opportunities. GULP acts as intermediary, with the platform enabling free registration and a 7 Euro service fee per freelancer hour upon project engagement.
4. IT Service Desk / Managed Services: Managed IT support services including 24/7 helpdesk, application support, network management, and proactive monitoring for corporate and mid-market clients.
5. GULP Talent Solutions: Comprehensive talent acquisition and supplier management services combining administration and optimization of procurement and commissioning processes.
6. Compliance Services: Compliance management services ensuring legally compliant contracting of external experts, addressing regulatory requirements for workforce management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Randstad Professional (formerly GULP) is a specialized personnel services provider placing qualified experts in IT, Engineering, and Life Science roles across Germany and Switzerland. Its core services are temporary staffing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung), permanent placement (Personalvermittlung), and freelance/project contracting, supported by the GULP web platform and GULP Direkt marketplace. Additional offerings include GULP Talent Solutions for supplier management, Compliance Services for legally secure engagement of freelancers, and the Randstad IT Service Desk for managed IT support.

Product overview

Randstad Professional (formerly GULP) operates as a staffing and recruitment platform offering multiple interconnected services. The core product is the Job & Project Exchange (GULP Job- & Projektbörse), which serves as a marketplace connecting freelancers with job and project opportunities. Supporting services include GULP Talent Solutions for comprehensive resource management, the Randstad IT Service Desk for IT outsourcing, and Compliance Services for legally compliant freelancer engagement. Companies can directly access freelancers through GULP Direkt or GULP Corporate. The platform also supports temporary staffing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) and permanent placement (Festanstellung). Freelancers benefit from GULP Membership for enhanced visibility and tools like the Stundensatzkalkulator for rate calculation. The company rebranded to Randstad Professional on July 1, 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GULP Talent Solutions: Comprehensive resource procurement and supplier management from a single source, combining administration and optimization of procurement and commissioning processes.
• GULP Direkt
• GULP Corporate
• GULP Membership
• Randstad IT Service Desk

Products and services

• Arbeitnehmerüberlassung (Temporary Staffing) Provides qualified specialists who are permanently employed by Randstad Professional and leased to client companies for specific time periods to cover peak orders, labor shortages, or skill gaps in IT, Engineering, and Life Science.
• Festanstellung & Personalvermittlung (Permanent Placement) Recruitment service placing qualified professionals and executives in permanent positions across IT, Engineering, and Life Science sectors, with comprehensive support from initial inquiry through candidate selection, interviews, and successful placement.
• GULP Job- & Projektbörse (Job and Project Exchange) Online marketplace connecting freelancers with job and project opportunities, listing 815 jobs, 581 projects, and 4,876 freelancer profiles across the IT, Engineering, and Life Science verticals.
• GULP Direkt (Freelancer Direct) Freelancer portal where companies post projects online and contact suitable experts directly; platform usage is free and a €7 service fee per freelancer hour is charged only upon commissioning.
• GULP Talent Solutions Comprehensive resource acquisition and supplier management service combining administration and optimization of procurement and commissioning processes for external experts and freelancers.
• Randstad IT Service Desk 24/7 managed IT support service offering 1st- and 2nd-level support, application support, proactive monitoring, and network management, delivered under ITIL-based and ISO-certified service quality standards to relieve corporate IT departments.
• Compliance Service Compliance management service ensuring legally compliant engagement of external experts and absorbing the legal, tax, and regulatory risks of contracting freelance personnel.
• GULP Corporate (Projektakquise / Project Acquisition) Project acquisition service that places freelance experts into projects at attractive clients, ensuring continuous utilization and skill development of the engaged consultants.
• GULP Membership (Freelancer Membership) Premium membership tier for freelancers offering enhanced profile visibility, additional benefits, and improved positioning within the GULP platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10.4% revenue growth achieved in challenging economic environment
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Randstad N.V. (Parent Company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024GULP rebranded to Randstad Professional as of July 1, 2024, as part of the Randstad group. Randstad N.V. is the world's largest staffing company headquartered in the Netherlands. This integration combines GULP's expertise in IT, Engineering, and Life Science staffing with Randstad's global network.
• Randstad Gruppe DeutschlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGULP has been a successful part of the German Randstad group for many years. The rebranding to Randstad Professional consolidates competencies under a unified brand while maintaining specialized focus on IT, Engineering, and Life Science sectors.
• Siemens AGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSiemens AG uses Randstad Professional's temporary staffing services for engineering and IT positions. The collaboration provides Siemens with qualified specialists for their Program Manager Building Twin position and other project needs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Etengo: Etengo is a German-managed marketplace and service provider for IT and engineering freelance project staffing, directly competing with GULP Direkt and Randstad Professional's freelance contracting line.
• Malt: Malt is a leading European freelance marketplace that competes with GULP Direkt for self-served IT and engineering freelancer placements, particularly among SMB and mid-market clients.

Direct peers

• Computer Futures: Computer Futures is a SThree-owned specialist recruiter for IT and technology professionals across DACH, providing both permanent and contract staffing that overlaps with Randstad Professional's IT focus.
• DIS AG: DIS AG is a major German personnel services provider offering temporary staffing, permanent placement, and contractor placement with a strong focus on IT, engineering, and commercial roles across Germany.
• Hays Deutschland: Hays is one of the leading specialist recruiters for IT, engineering, and life-science contractors in Germany, with a deep freelance database and similar enterprise customer base — making it the closest direct peer to Randstad Professional.
• Brunel: Brunel provides engineering and IT project staffing and outsourcing across DACH with a strong focus on technical specialists, directly competing for the same engineering/IT contract and freelance engagements.
• PageGroup (Michael Page / Page Personnel): PageGroup's German operations recruit mid- to senior-level professionals across IT, engineering, and life science on a permanent and contract basis, competing directly for the same specialist talent pool.
• Robert Half Deutschland: Robert Half operates a specialist staffing franchise in Germany focused on finance, IT, and engineering talent, directly overlapping Randstad Professional's perm and contract placement offerings.

Broad incumbents

• ManpowerGroup Deutschland: ManpowerGroup is a global staffing incumbent operating across temporary, permanent, and managed services in Germany — broader portfolio than Randstad Professional but overlapping significantly on IT and engineering staffing.
• Adecco Deutschland: Adecco is one of the largest global staffing firms with broad German operations in temp staffing, perm placement, and outsourcing — a broad incumbent competing across all of Randstad Professional's verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GULP_News
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GULPstream/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/GULP.Jobs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gulp-experts-united
• TikToktiktok.com/@randstad.de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gulp