What Digital Vikings does

Digital Vikings GmbH is a Berlin-based HR and organizational consultancy specializing in the digital commerce and technology sectors. Founded in 2016 by Thomas Schaeben and Lars Rabe, who continue to serve as Managing Directors, the firm is headquartered at Knesebeckstraße 91 in Berlin Charlottenburg with a secondary field office in Düsseldorf. The company operates a small, specialized team of approximately 10-15 members that includes founding partners, recruiting consultants, research analysts, and a software development role. It is a privately held, bootstrapped GmbH with no disclosed institutional investors or parent company.

The firm delivers a unified portfolio of professional services rather than a software platform: Executive & Specialist Search places C-level executives and specialists in Data & AI, E-Commerce, Product & UX, Sales & Customer Success, and Online Marketing & CRM roles; Recruiting Services operates a 'Rent a Recruiter' interim-placement model; Talent & Management Assessment applies scientific psychodiagnostic methods; Organisationsberatung provides organizational design consulting for digital businesses; and Digital Board Advisory supports appointment of digital board members. The underlying technology stack consists of internally developed ATS tools built because no off-the-shelf solution met requirements, combined with standard recruitment technologies, Boolean search, and CRM/database systems for candidate management. The firm has no public API, SDK, or MCP integrations.

Digital Vikings generates revenue through professional services fees, with quote-based pricing tied to scope, position seniority, and engagement duration across retained, contingency, and interim engagement models; multi-year contracts are common. Its named enterprise client base spans fashion/retail (Birkenstock, Marc O'Polo, CALIDA, Thalia, Canyon, Dehner, Klingel Group), publishing (Holtzbrinck Buchverlage), electronics (Samsung), sports/outdoor (Odlo), B2B/industrial (Schäfer Shop), travel (HomeToGo), and consulting (eccelerate). GTM is consultative and sales-led through direct founder/partner engagement, complemented by a partnership ecosystem with eccelerate, synaigy (TIMETOACT GROUP, 750+ employees), digitalDNA, active value, and coaching change for referrals and co-delivery. Primary geographic focus is the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) with selective international placements in Europe (Netherlands) and transatlantic markets (USA, Asia) tied to specific client engagements.

Name

Digital Vikings

Legal name

Digital Vikings GmbH

Website

https://digitalvikings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Digital Vikings is a Berlin-based HR and organizational consultancy that provides executive search, recruiting services, talent assessment, and organizational design for digital commerce and technology companies across the DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment and Executive Search Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital & Technology Transformation Consulting (BPAHACAH)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Digital commerce recruiting
• Organizational design consulting
• Tech talent acquisition
• HR consultancy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Executive & Specialist Search: Retained or contingency-based search fees for placing executives and specialized professionals in Digital Commerce and Tech roles. The company specializes in C-level, management, and specialist positions.
2. Recruiting Services (Rent a Recruiter): Interim recruiter placement services where experienced recruiting specialists are provided to client companies for limited periods to support talent acquisition needs.
3. Organizational Design Consulting: Advisory services for organizational structure, team development, and High Performance Team building in digital environments.
4. Digital Board Advisory: Advisory services for establishing digital boards and appointing board members with strong digital backgrounds, leveraging their C-level executive network.
5. Talent Assessment: Psychometric and scientific-based candidate suitability diagnostics for hiring and team composition decisions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Digital Vikings is a specialized HR and organizational consultancy that recruits digital commerce and tech professionals for companies in the DACH region. They place C-level executives, specialists, and junior staff across disciplines such as Data & AI, E-Commerce, Product & UX, Sales & Customer Success, and Online Marketing, while also providing organizational design consulting and talent assessment services.

Product overview

Digital Vikings is a specialized HR and organizational consulting firm focused on Digital Commerce and Tech. The company offers a unified portfolio of consulting services rather than a software platform: Executive & Specialist Search provides targeted recruitment for digital roles; Recruiting Services with the 'Rent a Recruiter' model offers flexible interim recruiting support; Talent & Management Assessment delivers scientific suitability diagnostics; Organisationsberatung provides organizational design and development; and Digital Board Advisory assists in establishing digital board competency. Services also extend to candidates through career placement and guidance. The integrated approach combines recruiting with organizational design to build high-performance teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive & Specialist Search Specialized recruitment service for placing digital commerce and tech professionals, including C-level executives, specialists, and junior staff across disciplines such as Data & AI, E-Commerce, Product & UX, Sales & Customer Success, and Online Marketing & CRM.
• Recruiting Services (Rent a Recruiter) Flexible recruiting support service providing experienced recruiters on a temporary basis to assist with candidate sourcing, requirement profiling, and managing the entire candidate journey and recruiting processes.
• Talent & Management Assessment Suitability diagnostics service using scientific psychodiagnostic methods and in-depth interviews to evaluate candidates for roles and analyze team structures against changing company requirements.
• Organisationsberatung (Organisational Design) Organizational consulting service that analyzes current organizational structures and develops strategies for digital business areas, helping companies build high-performance teams through management interviews, employee workshops, and implementation support.
• Digital Board Advisory Advisory service helping companies establish digital boards or appoint board members with strong digital backgrounds, leveraging a network of C-level executives and online environment experts for consultation and support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Odlo leadership position filled within 6 weeks
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ecceleratecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning e-commerce consultancy providing digital growth strategy, digitization capabilities, and operational revenue support. eccelerate guides clients through digital transformation and represents a key strategic partnership for integrated digital commerce solutions.
• active valueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternet agency implementing solutions for digital products including individual shops, CMS websites, and social media campaigns through agile collaboration between design, programming, and consulting departments.
• synaigy (TIMETOACT GROUP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital marketing, e-commerce, and e-service specialist with 70+ experts, part of TIMETOACT GROUP with 750+ employees. Serves customers across Europe from Dortmund and Cologne locations. Represents flagship partnership for digital commerce implementation.
• digitalDNAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerE-commerce project specialists since mid-90s with experience across retail, automotive, publishing, consulting, IT, and communications industries. Multi-founders of internet-based companies bring both conceptual and operational expertise to digital challenges.
• coaching changeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent consultancy combining consulting, training, and coaching for organizational design, HR development, and change management with demonstrable results and measurable ROI. Uses research-backed methodologies continuously updated with latest findings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Robert Half: Global staffing and consulting firm with a dedicated technology and digital practice. Competes on contract and permanent placement of digital, marketing, and e-commerce talent — the same functional roles Digital Vikings places — but at significantly greater scale and lower price points.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with deep presence in technology, consumer, and digital sectors. A broad incumbent peer whose Digital/Technology Practice overlaps with Digital Vikings' sweet spot of placing digital commerce leaders for consumer brands.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a dedicated Technology and Communications Practice. A broad incumbent competing for the same C-level digital and board appointments that Digital Vikings targets through its Digital Board Advisory service.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a dedicated Digital Practice. Operates at much larger scale across all sectors and geographies, but increasingly competes for the same C-level digital commerce mandates Digital Vikings targets in the DACH mid-market.
• Signium: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Digital, Technology, and Consumer practice. Comparable on the cross-border placement of digital and consumer-industry executives, with particular overlap in retail and e-commerce — a core vertical for Digital Vikings.
• Hays: Global recruitment and workforce solutions provider with strong DACH presence and a dedicated technology, sales, and digital practice. Directly comparable in its recruitment services for digital commerce and SaaS professionals, and a key competitor for mid-market and enterprise mandates in the same region.

Direct peers

• Cobalt Recruitment: Global specialist recruiter placing professionals across real estate, construction, and digital/tech disciplines with a strong European presence. Directly comparable on the digital, sales, and commercial-hiring segments Digital Vikings serves, with overlapping customer base in DACH and the UK.
• Marlin Hawk: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm specializing in technology, digital transformation, and consumer sectors. Closely comparable to Digital Vikings in boutique positioning, digital specialization, and offering board and executive advisory services alongside search.
• Amoria Bond: International specialist recruitment firm focused on technology, digital, and commercial talent across Europe and APAC. Comparable to Digital Vikings in its niche focus on digital/tech placements and multi-country delivery, though Amoria Bond operates at larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Stott and May: Boutique search and consulting firm focused on technology, digital, and transformation talent. Similar in size and niche positioning to Digital Vikings, with overlapping services (executive search, interim contracting) and a comparable mid-market/enterprise client mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xxing.com/pages/digitalvikingsgmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digital-vikings-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Digital Vikings