Einstieg

What Einstieg does

Einstieg GmbH is a Cologne-based German career orientation platform operating since approximately 2001. The company serves school-leavers and young adults in Germany navigating the transition into Ausbildung (vocational apprenticeship), Studium (university), or Gap Year programs through two integrated surfaces. First, the einstieg.com online portal hosts editorial career content, a free 15-minute career interest test (Kostenloser Berufswahltest), and searchable databases of apprenticeship listings, study programs, and gap year opportunities such as Work and Travel, Au-pair, and FSJ/BFD. Registered users can save preferred offers through a personal "Mein Einstieg" account. Second, the company runs the Einstieg Messen, physical career fairs held in 11+ German cities including Karlsruhe, Dortmund, Köln, Berlin, München, Düsseldorf, Mainz/Wiesbaden, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Münster, and Freiburg, scheduled continuously across the 2026/2027 cycle.

Name

Einstieg

Legal name

Einstieg GmbH

Website

https://einstieg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The core technology stack is a web-based content management and event management platform combined with a self-serve B2B portal (recruiting.einstieg.com). No public API, SDK, or mobile app exists; distribution is through TYPO3-based web properties plus social channels (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Career Orientation and Education Marketing Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Job Search Strategy & Application Skills (EDAAAKAC)

Keywords

• Career orientation services
• Education career fairs
• Apprenticeship marketing
• Employer branding services
• University marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Employer and University Advertising: Companies and universities pay for profiles and job/study listings on the platform. Employers can book exhibition space at career fairs.
2. Career Fair Exhibitor Fees: Revenue from companies and educational institutions renting exhibition space at Einstieg career fairs across Germany.
3. Einstieg Concept Agency Services: Marketing and consulting services including apprenticeship marketing, university marketing, employer branding, event management, and custom website development for companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Einstieg operates a career orientation platform for German students combining a free online portal (einstieg.com) with searchable databases of apprenticeships (Ausbildung), university programs (Studium), and gap year options, plus a free online career aptitude test. The company also runs physical career fairs in 11+ German cities where employers and educational institutions exhibit. Through its Einstieg Concept agency and recruiting.einstieg.com portal, it sells employer branding, apprenticeship marketing, university marketing, event management, and trade show booth services to companies seeking to recruit young talent.

Product overview

Einstieg operates as a comprehensive career orientation platform consisting of the einstieg.com online portal and Einstieg career fairs across Germany. The platform helps students find apprenticeships (Ausbildung), study programs (Studium), and gap year opportunities through a free career aptitude test and searchable databases. The company also operates Einstieg Concept, a specialized marketing agency providing employer branding, event management, and recruitment website services to companies seeking to attract young talent. The recruiting.einstieg.com portal enables exhibitors to manage their presence at career events. Together, these products form an end-to-end ecosystem connecting students with educational and career opportunities while providing companies with marketing solutions to reach their target audience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Einstieg Career Fairs (Einstieg Messen) Physical career fairs held in 11+ German cities where companies and universities exhibit to meet German-speaking students and young job seekers exploring Ausbildung, Studium, and Gap Year opportunities. Exhibitors pay for booths and event participation.
• einstieg.com Online Portal Web portal providing career orientation for German-speaking students, featuring apprenticeship listings, study program databases, gap year opportunities, career aptitude tests, and event information for Einstieg career fairs. Free for students; companies and universities pay for profiles and listings.
• Kostenloser Berufswahltest (Free Career Aptitude Test) A free online career interest test that helps German students discover which careers and study programs best match their interests. Takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and produces personalized suggestions.
• Ausbildungsplätze Database (Apprenticeship Listings) Searchable database of apprenticeship and vocational training positions available in Germany, organized by profession and topic, with current listings for 2026 and 2027 cohorts. Free for students; employers and training bodies pay to list.
• Studiengänge Database (Study Program Listings) Comprehensive database of bachelor's and master's study programs from German universities and colleges, organized alphabetically and by topic area. Universities pay to list their programs.
• Gap Year Programme Database of gap year offerings for German students, including Work and Travel, Summer School, Farmstay, Au-pair, and voluntary service (BFD/FSJ) opportunities.
• Einstieg Concept Agency Full-service marketing agency division of Einstieg GmbH specializing in apprenticeship (Azubi) marketing, university marketing, employer branding, event management, trade show booth construction, and recruitment website development for companies and universities. Sold as a service engagement.
• recruiting.einstieg.com B2B Portal B2B portal for companies and universities to book event booths at Einstieg career fairs, advertise apprenticeship and study programs, and manage their employer/university presence.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IHK Berufe SpielfeldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative project with IHK (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) to create interactive career exploration experiences. Includes design, event management, and conceptual development services.
• IHK-Azubi-Challenge NürnbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with IHK Nürnberg for vocational training challenge events, helping connect young people with apprenticeship opportunities.
• IHK Schwaben (fitforJOB! Augsburg)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership since 2018 for organizing the fitforJOB! vocational training fair in Augsburg, supporting youth recruitment efforts.
• Arbeitgeberverbände Ruhr/WestfalencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive in-house workshops on 'Azubi-Recruiting mit Strategie' (apprenticeship recruiting with strategy) for member companies in the chemical industry.
• IHK Frankfurt am MaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for career orientation and recruitment events, leveraging Einstieg's experience to benefit regional IHK events.
• Stadt MünsterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for trade fair booth design and execution, delivering high-quality exhibition stands for the city's events.
• Tausche Bildung für Wohnen e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in HR Stories - a nonprofit connecting young adults as education mentors with children in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Xing (New Work SE): Leading German professional networking platform with extensive job-listing, event, and employer-branding products targeting the same career-oriented audience Einstieg serves.
• Hochschulkompass (HRK): Official German higher-education information portal run by the Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK); a broad incumbent providing free study-program data that competes with Einstieg's Studium inventory for B2B university mindshare.
• Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Jobbörse / BERUFENET): Germany's federal employment agency operates the official Jobbörse and BERUFENET career portals — a free, government-backed incumbent that overlaps with Einstieg's apprenticeship, study, and career-guidance content.
• Stepstone: One of Germany's largest generalist job boards, increasingly expanding into apprenticeship and entry-level verticals with employer-branding solutions — a broad incumbent that competes for both audience and B2B ad spend.

Direct peers

• Absolventa: German career platform focused on graduates and young professionals, combining a job/internship marketplace with employer branding content and events — overlapping audience and B2B services approach.
• Studis Online: Long-standing German student information portal for study programs and universities, directly comparable to Einstieg's Studium listings and university marketing services.
• Ausbildung.de: Germany's leading online marketplace for Ausbildung/apprenticeship listings, offering a directly comparable B2C portal and B2B employer advertising model to Einstieg's apprenticeship focus.
• Unicum: German student and graduate career platform offering career orientation content, job listings, and event magazines — overlapping target audience and B2B university/employer marketing model.
• Staufenbiel Institut: German career orientation and entry-level recruitment services company offering career guides, employer events, and recruiting solutions targeted at students and graduates — directly comparable audience and service mix.
• Azubis.de: Specialized German apprenticeship search platform serving school-leavers and employers with a similar B2B employer-services and B2C career-orientation value proposition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/einstieg123
• Facebookfacebook.com/berufswahl
• Instagraminstagram.com/einstieg
• TikToktiktok.com/@einstieg_zukunft?lang=de-DE

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Einstieg