XING is a Hamburg-based professional networking and job search platform serving 21 million members across the DACH region, operating as a subsidiary of publicly-traded New Work SE. The platform combines AI-powered job matching, employer job postings, and career tools to connect job seekers with employers.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersHamburg, Germany
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What XING does
XING is a Hamburg-based professional networking and job search platform serving primarily the German-speaking DACH market (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Founded in 2003 originally as Open Business Club (OpenBC) and rebranded in 2006, the company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of publicly-traded New Work SE (Frankfurt Stock Exchange ticker: NW) and functions as its flagship consumer/professional brand. The platform serves approximately 21 million members with over 1 million active job listings, 270,000+ employers posting jobs, and 20,000+ active recruiters. A portfolio of complementary career tools (berufe.xing.com for occupation profiles, lebenslauf.com for CV creation, anschreiben.com for cover letters, bewerbung.com for application advice, and praktikum-guide.com for internships) extends the platform's surface area across the full job-seeker lifecycle.
The platform's core technology includes an AI-powered job matching system ("XING AI Job Matching") that processes text-based job descriptions, user search inputs, and profile data to recommend relevant positions based on user preferences for career level, workplace, salary, and job type. The company monetizes through a dual freemium model: B2C subscription tiers (free basic membership with XING Premium and ProJobs upgrades billed annually) and B2B transactional fees (job postings, recruiter subscriptions, active sourcing tools). Distribution is primarily self-serve digital via web and native iOS/Android applications, supplemented by a direct sales motion to larger enterprise customers for recruiting services.
In October 2025, XING announced a strategic pivot from its historical positioning as a professional network toward a job board-centric business model, accompanied by a leadership transition in which managing director Thomas Kindler stepped down at year-end and was replaced by Reif. The company has a historical track record of acquisitions (most recently Honeypot in 2019 for approximately $64M and Prescreen in 2017 for approximately $19M), having used M&A to extend its recruiting and employer-services capabilities. The platform serves notable enterprise customers including BMW, Siemens, SAP, BASF, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Post, IKEA, Amazon, Porsche, REWE, ROSSMANN, Kaufland, Ottobock, dm, and AOK.
XING firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Legal name
- New Work SE
- Website
- https://xing.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- XING is a Hamburg-based professional networking and job search platform serving 21 million members across the DACH region, operating as a subsidiary of publicly-traded New Work SE. The platform combines AI-powered job matching, employer job postings, and career tools to connect job seekers with employers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
XING industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Professional Networking and Job Marketplace
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Global Contractor Engagement & Cross-Border Payments (BPACAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Vendor Management System (VMS) & MSP-Led Contractor Programs (BPACAGAF)
Keywords
Where XING is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hamburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
XING business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Premium Memberships: Freemium model where basic membership is free but premium features require paid subscription for enhanced job search capabilities, visibility to recruiters, and additional profile features
- Job Postings: Employers pay to post job advertisements on the platform to reach XING's 21 million members
- Recruiting Services: Recruitment solutions for employers including featured job postings, recruiter subscriptions, and active sourcing tools
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free basic membership with optional premium upgrades |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
XING product offering
Product offeringCore offering
XING operates a professional networking and job marketplace platform with approximately 21 million members, primarily serving the DACH region. It connects individual job seekers with employers and recruiters through a two-sided platform offering free and premium memberships, recruiter subscriptions, dedicated recruiting services, and an integrated suite of career tools including a job portal (berufe.xing.com), CV builder (lebenslauf.com), cover letter tools (anschreiben.com and bewerbung.com), and an internship guide (praktikum-guide.com).
Product overview
XING operates as a comprehensive job search and professional networking platform, featuring a multi-product ecosystem. The core XING platform serves as the main professional network and jobs marketplace with over 1 million job listings and 21 million members. The platform is complemented by specialized career guidance tools including berufe.xing.com for occupation profiles, lebenslauf.com and anschreiben.com for application document creation, and bewerbung.com for application tips. For employers, XING offers dedicated recruiting services through Recruiting with XING. Premium tiers (XING Premium, ProJobs) provide enhanced visibility features for job seekers. The platform also includes mobile applications for iOS and Android.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- XING Platform (core professional network) The core XING professional networking platform that allows individual members to create profiles, build a professional network, find jobs, and connect with companies and recruiters across the DACH region.
- XING Premium Paid premium membership for individual XING users that adds enhanced profile visibility, advanced search filters, priority application status, and other career-acceleration features.
- Recruiting with XING Dedicated recruiting service that enables employers and headhunters to source candidates directly from the XING member base of approximately 21 million DACH professionals.
- ProJobs Subscription-based job-posting and candidate-search product for recruiters and employers, providing access to the XING candidate pool for active sourcing.
- berufe.xing.com Dedicated XING career and jobs portal providing job listings, occupational information, and career-discovery resources for individuals seeking jobs in the DACH market.
- lebenslauf.com Standalone online CV/resume builder that enables job seekers to create professional resumes as part of XING's career-tools portfolio.
- anschreiben.com Standalone cover letter creation tool that helps job seekers draft cover letters, integrated with XING's broader career-tools offering.
- bewerbung.com Standalone application-assistance portal providing job seekers with resources and tools to support the broader job-application process.
- praktikum-guide.com Standalone internship guide portal that helps students and entry-level candidates find internships and navigate early-career opportunities in the DACH region.
Companies that use XING
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
XING technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature1 record
XING partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
XING competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Indeed: World's largest job search engine/marketplace, aggregating listings from employers, staffing firms and other job boards. Competes head-on with XING in job seeker acquisition and recruiter value in DACH.
- LinkedIn: Global professional networking and recruiting platform that competes directly with XING for both candidate mind-share and recruiter/enterprise spend in DACH and beyond. Operates a similar two-sided marketplace with premium subscriptions, job postings and recruiting tools.
- ZipRecruiter: AI-driven job marketplace that connects employers with job seekers through a matching model similar to XING's. Differentiated by being primarily US-focused, but operates an analogous two-sided recruitment business.
- StepStone: Germany-focused job board and recruitment platform (part of Axel Springer) that directly competes with XING in the German-speaking market, serving the same employers and candidates with a similar job-listing and recruiting-tools offering.
Broad incumbents
- Monster: Long-standing global job board and recruitment brand offering job postings, resume search and recruiting services. A broad incumbent in the same category as XING, though historically weaker in DACH.
- Glassdoor: Major employer-review and job-listing platform that competes with XING on the recruiting side, especially for employer branding and candidate discovery, though it is broader in scope and global in reach.
Emerging players
- Joblift: Job search engine/marketplace headquartered in Hamburg with strong focus on the German-speaking market. Aggregates listings and offers employer products, partially overlapping XING's value proposition for candidates and recruiters in DACH.
Regional players
- Softgarden: German-focused applicant tracking and recruiting platform (HeyJobs/Softgarden ecosystem) that overlaps with XING's employer-facing recruiting services in the DACH market, particularly for mid-market and enterprise HR teams.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
XING social profiles
Digital presenceXING financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
XING leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
XING funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
XING M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A16 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about XING
What does XING do?
XING operates a professional networking and job marketplace platform with approximately 21 million members, primarily serving the DACH region. It connects individual job seekers with employers and recruiters through a two-sided platform offering free and premium memberships, recruiter subscriptions, dedicated recruiting services, and an integrated suite of career tools including a job portal (berufe.xing.com), CV builder (lebenslauf.com), cover letter tools (anschreiben.com and bewerbung.com), and an internship guide (praktikum-guide.com).
Is XING a public or private company?
XING is a public company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was XING founded?
XING was founded in 2003. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is XING based?
XING is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does XING make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Premium Memberships are the primary driver. The others are job Postings and recruiting Services.
Who are XING's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter and StepStone. Broad incumbents are Monster and Glassdoor. Joblift is listed as an emerging player. Softgarden is listed as a regional player.
Does XING have an API?
No public API is recorded for XING.
What industry is XING in?
XING's product category is Online Professional Networking and Job Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAGAI, Global Contractor Engagement & Cross-Border Payments, with a secondary code of BPACAGAF, Vendor Management System (VMS) & MSP-Led Contractor Programs. Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7361.