Clearstone
Clearstone is a Cologne-based recruitment and executive search firm serving DACH-region companies with specialized placements in IT, Engineering, Finance, FinTech, Life Sciences, and international healthcare and hospitality, operating via a core team plus a 40+ freelance Associate Partner network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersKöln, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Clearstone does
Clearstone Recruiting is a Cologne-based professional recruitment and executive search firm founded in 2018, operating under the legal entity Clearstone GmbH. The company serves companies across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) with placements in IT, Engineering, Finance, Life Sciences, Sales & Marketing, and — more recently — international healthcare/nursing and hospitality/gastronomy professionals. A specialized FinTech executive search practice targets C-Level and VP mandates for neobanks, payment providers, InsurTech, and BaaS companies, with demonstrated regulatory expertise in BaFin, PSD2, MiCAR, and DORA frameworks.
The business is built around a hybrid Recruitment Process Outsourcing model: a core team of 11-50 employees anchored by founder/Managing Director Muila Swele is supplemented by a network of 40+ freelance Associate Partners who operate as independent recruiting experts. Technology stack comprises standard CRM, social platforms (LinkedIn, XING), and what the company describes as 'AI-supported candidate search capabilities' — though no proprietary AI is documented. Sub-brands include Clearstone Academy, a training platform for recruiters.
Revenue mechanics are professional services based: fees typically equal a percentage of the placed candidate's first-year total gross compensation, with retainer agreements available for exclusive executive search mandates. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The firm claims over 300 customers (logos include HanseMerkur, Bechtle, FOM Hochschule, codecentric, SportAlliance, QFS GmbH) and over 12,000 lifetime placements. Clearstone is founder-owned and bootstrapped, with no institutional investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity disclosed; growth has been funded through operating cash flow and the asset-light Associate Partner model.
Clearstone firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clearstone
- Legal name
- Clearstone GmbH
- Website
- https://clearstone-recruiting.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Clearstone is a Cologne-based recruitment and executive search firm serving DACH-region companies with specialized placements in IT, Engineering, Finance, FinTech, Life Sciences, and international healthcare and hospitality, operating via a core team plus a 40+ freelance Associate Partner network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clearstone industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recruitment & Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare) (BPACAFAC), Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB)
Keywords
Where Clearstone is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Köln
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Clearstone business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Recruitment/Placement Services: Professional recruiting and placement services for companies seeking talent in IT, Engineering, Finance, Life Sciences, Sales & Marketing, Healthcare, and Hospitality sectors. Fees are typically based on the first year's total gross compensation of the placed candidate.
- Executive Search Retainers: Retainer agreements for exclusivity or performance-based contingency models for specialized executive search mandates, particularly in FinTech sector.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Executive Search / Contingency |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Clearstone product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clearstone Recruiting is a Cologne-based recruitment agency providing permanent placement, headhunting, and executive search services to companies across the DACH region. It places candidates in IT, Engineering, Finance, Life Sciences, Sales & Marketing sectors, and recruits international specialists for healthcare, hospitality and gastronomy, leveraging a network of 40+ freelance Associate Partners. Specialized FinTech executive search targets C-level and VP roles with regulatory expertise (BaFin, PSD2, MiCAR, DORA).
Product overview
Clearstone Recruiting is a professional recruitment and executive search service provider based in Cologne, Germany, operating since 2018. The company offers a single, unified recruiting service focused on placing candidates in IT, Engineering, Finance, Life Sciences, Sales & Marketing, as well as Healthcare and Hospitality sectors across the DACH region. Services include direct candidate sourcing, passive candidate outreach, and placement support for companies seeking specialized talent. The company also recruits international specialists for the hospitality, gastronomy, and care sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Clearstone Academy: A platform developed by Clearstone for recruiters and HR consultants to learn practical ways to work more effectively and think more entrepreneurially.
Products and services
- Permanent Placement / Personalvermittlung End-to-end recruitment and permanent placement service for companies seeking talent in IT, Engineering, Finance, Life Sciences, Sales & Marketing sectors across the DACH region. Leverages a network of 40+ freelance Associate Partners for proactive headhunting of passive candidates. Fees typically based on the first year's total gross compensation of the placed candidate.
- FinTech Executive Search Specialized executive search service for C-Level and VP positions at FinTech companies (neobanks, payment providers, InsurTech, BaaS) in Berlin, Frankfurt, Zürich, and Vienna. Includes scope definition workshops, market analysis, direct outreach, pre-screening, and shortlist presentation with absolute discretion. Regulatory expertise covers BaFin, PSD2, MiCAR, and DORA; identifies hybrid profiles combining software engineering and banking expertise. Retainer and contingency models available.
- International Specialist Recruitment (Healthcare & Hospitality) International recruitment service for healthcare facilities, nursing homes, hotels, restaurants, and hospitality businesses. Sources international medical specialists, nursing professionals, and hospitality staff to address local labor shortages in the DACH region.
- Clearstone Academy Educational platform developed by Clearstone for recruiters and HR consultants to learn practical, effective, and entrepreneurial methods of working in the recruiting industry.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 300 satisfied customers in the DACH region
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Clearstone
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Clearstone technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Clearstone partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- HanseMerkurminorHanseMerkur is shown as a partner logo on the Clearstone website, indicating a business relationship or referral partnership.
- PonsminorPons is shown as a partner logo on the Clearstone website, indicating a business relationship or referral partnership.
- FOM HochschuleminorFOM University of Economics is shown as a partner, possibly indicating academic collaboration or talent pipeline relationship.
- BechtleminorBechtle is shown as a partner logo on the Clearstone website, indicating a business relationship or referral partnership.
- SportAllianceminorSportAlliance is shown as a partner logo, indicating a business relationship in the sports/gaming sector.
- MBCminorMBC is shown as a partner logo on the Clearstone website.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Clearstone competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PageGroup: Global recruitment group operating Michael Page and Page Personnel brands with deep DACH presence across professional, technical, and executive search. Comparable in sector breadth and customer profile to Clearstone.
- Michael Page: Specialist professional recruitment firm placing candidates across IT, engineering, finance, sales, and healthcare in over 30 countries with strong DACH coverage. Closely mirrors Clearstone's multi-sector permanent placement approach and client profile.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with significant Frankfurt and Zurich practices serving financial services and FinTech clients. Directly comparable to Clearstone's FinTech C-level and VP search practice.
- Robert Walters: Professional recruitment firm focused on mid-to-senior placements across technology, finance, engineering, and sales with a significant DACH operation. Direct overlap with Clearstone's sector coverage and permanent placement model.
- Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong DACH presence, including dedicated FinTech and financial services practices. Comparable to Clearstone's executive search positioning at the senior leadership level.
- Hays Executive: Senior recruitment and executive search arm of Hays serving FinTech, financial services, and technology leadership mandates in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Directly comparable to Clearstone's FinTech executive search vertical.
- Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with strong German and Swiss presence serving board-level and senior leadership mandates. Closely comparable to Clearstone's FinTech executive search offering, particularly in regulated industries.
Broad incumbents
- Robert Half: Global staffing and consulting firm specializing in finance, accounting, technology, and administrative placements. Overlaps with Clearstone's professional and technical direct-hire services, with a comparable fee-based placement revenue model.
- GULP (Randstad): Germany's leading IT and engineering staffing platform, part of Randstad. Overlaps with Clearstone's IT and engineering placement verticals in the DACH market at significantly larger scale.
- Hays: Global professional staffing and recruitment firm with strong DACH presence covering IT, engineering, finance, and life sciences. Highly comparable to Clearstone's core multi-sector permanent placement model, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clearstone social profiles
Digital presenceClearstone financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clearstone leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Clearstone funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clearstone M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clearstone
What does Clearstone do?
Clearstone Recruiting is a Cologne-based recruitment agency providing permanent placement, headhunting, and executive search services to companies across the DACH region. It places candidates in IT, Engineering, Finance, Life Sciences, Sales & Marketing sectors, and recruits international specialists for healthcare, hospitality and gastronomy, leveraging a network of 40+ freelance Associate Partners. Specialized FinTech executive search targets C-level and VP roles with regulatory expertise (BaFin, PSD2, MiCAR, DORA).
Is Clearstone a public or private company?
Clearstone is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Clearstone founded?
Clearstone was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Clearstone based?
Clearstone is headquartered in Köln, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Clearstone make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Recruitment/Placement Services are the primary driver. The others are executive Search Retainers.
Who are Clearstone's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PageGroup, Michael Page, Heidrick & Struggles, Robert Walters, Egon Zehnder, Hays Executive and Odgers Berndtson. Broad incumbents are Robert Half, GULP (Randstad) and Hays.
Does Clearstone have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clearstone.
What industry is Clearstone in?
Clearstone's product category is Recruitment & Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAFAA, General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry), with a secondary code of BPACAFAC, Professional & Technical Direct Hire (IT, Engineering, Finance, Healthcare). Its NAICS code is 561311 and its SIC code is 7361.