What SALT AND PEPPER Group does

SALT AND PEPPER Group is a privately held German engineering and IT services group headquartered in Bremen, founded in 2008 by Sven Scholz and Marko Schluroff. The group operates through four interconnected Business Units—Technology (specialized engineering and IT staffing under Arbeitnehmerüberlassung, work contracts, and Autonomous Engineering Teams), Solutions (custom Smart Factory, AI, DevOps, and individual software development), Academy (agile training and coaching), and nexadus (staffing specialized for shipbuilding and mechanical engineering). It employs over 500 people across eight German locations (Bremen, Hamburg, Osnabrück, Ratingen, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Berlin, and a further site), with a billable core of more than 450 engineers and developers, and holds multiple Top 100 Innovator awards (2022–2024), a Top Company 2023 Kununu recognition, and a 2025 Ecovadis 'Committed' sustainability seal.

Name

SALT AND PEPPER Group

Legal name

SALT AND PEPPER Holding GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://salt-and-pepper.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SALT AND PEPPER Group is a privately held German engineering and IT services group based in Bremen, deploying 450+ engineers and developers across four business units—Technology, Solutions, Academy, and nexadus—to serve industrial manufacturers in automotive, aerospace, medical, energy, and shipbuilding sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering & IT Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

IT & Software Engineering Staffing (BPACADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Electrical/Electronics & Embedded Systems Staffing (BPACADAF)

Keywords

• Engineering staffing services
• IT project outsourcing
• Smart Factory solutions
• Agile training programs
• Production AI integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Bremen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering & IT Staffing / Arbeitnehmerüberlassung (ANÜ): Placement of specialized engineers and IT experts at client sites on a temporary staffing basis. This is a core revenue stream where SALT AND PEPPER employs the specialists and deploys them at client facilities. The company emphasizes this as a strategic, not just operational, tool.
2. Work and Service Contracts (Werk- und Dienstverträge): Full project delivery where SALT AND PEPPER takes responsibility for entire work packages, executed transparently at client or company premises. Includes product development, software engineering, and digital transformation projects.
3. Individual Software Development: Custom software development from strategy through ongoing operations, covering the full software lifecycle.
4. Training and Coaching (Academy): Agile training programs, workshops, and coaching services for clients and employees, covering agile innovation development, agile project management, and agile leadership. Available as internal credits for employees and open to external participants.
5. nexadus — Engineering & IT Personnel Services for Shipbuilding and Mechanical Engineering: Specialized staffing and personnel services for shipbuilding and mechanical engineering sectors through the nexadus subsidiary.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SALT AND PEPPER Group provides engineering and IT staffing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) and project-based development services to industrial manufacturers, plus custom-built Smart Factory, AI, and DevOps solutions, and agile training through its Academy. Its 450+ engineers and developers are deployed autonomously at client sites or in its own offices across Germany. The group operates through four Business Units: Technology (staffing), Solutions (custom solutions), Academy (training), and nexadus (specialized shipbuilding and mechanical engineering staffing).

Product overview

SALT AND PEPPER Group operates as a multi-unit engineering and IT services company with four distinct Business Units: Technology (specialized engineering and IT staffing via temporary labor and service contracts), Solutions (custom technology solutions including Smart Factory, AI, DevOps, and software development), Academy (agile training and professional development), and nexadus (staffing for shipbuilding and mechanical engineering). The portfolio includes core solutions like the Smart Factory platform for production optimization, AI-powered production enhancement services, and the KI-Potenzialworkshop for AI readiness assessment. Supporting services include Autonomous Engineering Teams, Expert Sharing models, Defence industry support, and the Innovators Club community platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• nexadus: Engineering & IT staffing services specialized for shipbuilding and mechanical engineering sectors.

Products and services

• Smart Factory Digital transformation solution for manufacturing that maximizes Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) through real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and Industrial IoT-enabled data processing connecting machines to cloud platforms.
• AI Solutions (Künstliche Intelligenz) AI-powered solutions for production optimization, including process evaluation, lifecycle management, real-time data analysis, predictive quality, condition monitoring, and connecting data know-how with production know-how.
• AI Potential Workshop (KI-Potenzialworkshop) Structured workshop offering to analyze AI opportunities in production, determine strategic or exploratory approach, evaluate economic viability of AI implementation, and define a project setup.
• Engineering & IT Staffing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) Placement of specialized engineers and IT experts at client sites on a temporary staffing basis (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung / ANÜ), positioning it as a strategic tool for accessing specialized talent.
• Work and Service Contracts (Werk- und Dienstverträge) Full project delivery where SALT AND PEPPER takes responsibility for entire work packages, including product development, software engineering, and digital transformation projects executed at client or company premises.
• Autonomous Engineering Team (AET) Custom-assembled expert team that works autonomously and transparently, either on-site at client facilities or in SALT AND PEPPER's own offices, tailored to individual client needs and project requirements.
• DevOps Services Automation services focused on efficiency for software development and deployment workflows, improving speed and quality of software delivery cycles.
• Software Development Individual software development services from strategy through ongoing operations, covering the entire software transformation lifecycle for enterprise clients.
• SALT AND PEPPER Academy Training and continuing education unit offering agile training programs, workshops, coaching, and professional development for external customers and employees, covering agile innovation development, agile project management, and agile leadership.
• nexadus Engineering & IT staffing services specialized for shipbuilding and mechanical engineering sectors, distributed through nexadus.de with its own brand presence.
• Defence Industry Services Support for defence industry projects with technical depth, experience in safety-critical processes, secret clearance supervision, and BSI-compliant infrastructure; over 10 years of project experience in the sector.
• Expert Sharing Workforce model where specialized experts work project-based for multiple companies simultaneously, enabling knowledge sharing, cross-industry expertise transfer, and flexible resource allocation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% of customers would recommend SALT AND PEPPER
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers16 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

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Agrotech Valley Forum e. V.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2023SALT AND PEPPER became a member of the Agrotech Valley Forum e. V. in November 2023. The forum is a growing community of nearly 50 partners dedicated to promoting sustainable agriculture. SALT AND PEPPER contributes through its cross-industry expertise, particularly in mechatronic product development, AI, DevOps, and software testing. The membership supports the company's engagement in the Osnabrück metropolitan region.
• YouGovminorOthers · 1 November 2023SALT AND PEPPER partnered with YouGov for the 2023 SALT AND PEPPER Survey on skilled labor shortage, in which 2,059 office workers including 563 IT and 529 production specialists were surveyed. YouGov conducted the market research providing data for the company's proprietary study.
• compamediaminorOthers · 1 June 2023compamedia organizes the Top 100 award program for innovation, which SALT AND PEPPER has won (2022 and 2023). Project partners of the Top 100 program include the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and BVMW.
• Fraunhofer-GesellschaftminorOthers · 1 June 2023Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft serves as a project partner of the Top 100 innovation award program managed by compamedia. SALT AND PEPPER received the Top 100 recognition under this program in 2022 and 2023.
• BVMW (Bundesverband mittelständische Wirtschaft)minorOthers · 1 June 2023BVMW (German Mittelstand Association) is a project partner of the Top 100 innovation award program managed by compamedia. SALT AND PEPPER received the Top 100 recognition under this program.
• ROSENminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2023SALT AND PEPPER co-hosted a Data and AI Meetup with ROSEN in Osnabrück on March 15, 2023. The event focused on practical applications of AI in production, including machine learning for quality prediction, CNN-based data analysis, and Physical Informed Neural Networks. The partnership demonstrates joint industry engagement on AI knowledge sharing.
• DFKI (Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023SALT AND PEPPER collaborated with DFKI on a workshop exploring innovative technical aids for care-dependent people in the kitchen. SALT AND PEPPER contributed technical expertise in innovative product development, particularly from its experience in consumer goods and robotics. The collaboration combined user-centered design methods with practical technical implementation.
• Innovators Club MembersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Innovators Club is a network of innovators from different companies and industries. Over 30 companies participate, ranging from mid-sized mechanical engineering firms to large corporations in medical technology. The club provides a platform for exchanging success stories, challenges, and disruptive ideas, with SALT AND PEPPER moderating and organizing the sessions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ferchau Engineering GmbH: One of Germany's largest engineering services providers, offering temporary engineering staffing and project services across automotive, aerospace, mechanical engineering, and IT. Directly comparable to SALT AND PEPPER's Technology BU (ANÜ and autonomous engineering teams) with a similar customer base of German industrial Mittelstand and OEMs.
• Brunel GmbH: Global engineering and IT staffing specialist with strong German operations, placing engineers and project teams across industries. Closely comparable to SALT AND PEPPER in its ANÜ model, cross-industry vertical coverage, and project-based engineering service delivery.
• Bertrandt AG: German engineering services provider heavily focused on automotive development, with growing mobility and digitalization offerings. Comparable to SALT AND PEPPER Solutions in delivering product development and software engineering services to industrial OEMs, though more concentrated on automotive.
• Hays Technology Solutions Germany: Major UK-headquartered but Germany-heavy IT and engineering recruitment and services firm. Directly competes in the IT staffing and contract placement space that anchors SALT AND PEPPER's Technology BU, with similar enterprise customer base and project services.
• ALTEN Germany: European engineering and IT consulting group with substantial German operations serving automotive, aerospace, energy, and industrial customers. Comparable to SALT AND PEPPER across engineering staffing, R&D project services, and digital/Industry 4.0 transformation work.
• Akkodis (Akkodis Germany): Global engineering services and digital consulting firm (formerly Modis/Adecco), with strong Germany presence in IT staffing, engineering consulting, and digital transformation. Directly comparable to SALT AND PEPPER's combined Technology and Solutions offerings, particularly for AI and Smart Factory engagements.
• Etengo Deutschland: German IT project staffing and services firm focused on placing freelance and contract IT specialists. Comparable to SALT AND PEPPER's Technology BU in the IT staffing segment, with overlapping enterprise customers in the German market.
• GULP (Randstad Technologies): Leading German online platform for IT freelance and contract placement, owned by Randstad. Directly comparable to SALT AND PEPPER's IT staffing offering, competing for the same pool of skilled engineers and developers across enterprise customers.

Broad incumbents

• Capgemini Engineering (formerly Altran) Germany: Large global engineering services and R&D consulting arm of Capgemini, with deep German operations in automotive, aerospace, and industrial sectors. Broader scale and global footprint than SALT AND PEPPER, but overlapping in digital engineering, Smart Factory, and embedded systems services.
• Reply Deutschland (Cluster Reply): Italian-headquartered IT consulting and digital transformation group with significant German operations focused on Industry 4.0, IoT, and enterprise software. Comparable to SALT AND PEPPER Solutions in delivering Smart Factory, AI, and digital transformation projects to industrial clients, though broader in scale and capabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FB.SALTANDPEPPER
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/salt-and-pepper

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries4 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 SALT AND PEPPER Group