What Probono does

Probono GmbH is a privately-held German staffing and personnel services company headquartered in Freiburg im Breisgau, founded in 2003 and operating under the trade name "probono Personaldienstleistungen." The company provides two core services: Arbeitnehmerüberlassung (temporary staffing/employee leasing), in which it acts as the employer of record and dispatches workers to client companies, and Personalvermittlung (permanent placement), in which it recruits candidates directly into client roles. It serves clients across five industry verticals — Industry & Crafts, Medical & Nursing, IT/Engineering & Technology, Commercial & Administrative, and Logistics/Warehousing & Shipping — with named customers including Trumpf, Uniklinik Freiburg, Sparkasse, Caritas, DSV, and several regional manufacturers. The company operates from two physical offices in Baden-Württemberg (Freiburg HQ and Ludwigsburg regional branch) and runs an online job board, WhatsApp contact channel, and a relationship-driven, field- and inside-sales GTM motion targeting regional enterprises and mid-market firms.

The business is built on traditional staffing operations rather than proprietary technology. No software platform, ATS, or AI/ML system is disclosed; the firm relies on standard HR and contact-management tooling, iGZ-DGB collective bargaining agreements for worker contracts, and industry association memberships (iGZ/GVP, Unternehmensverband Südwest) to support credibility and compliance with the German Temporary Employment Act (AÜG). With an unlimited Arbeitnehmerüberlassung permit held since 2003 and over 250 leased workers deployed at customer sites, the company operates as a regional, owner-managed staffing specialist rather than a tech-enabled platform.

The revenue model combines usage-based hourly billing for temporary placements — with surcharges for overtime, nights, weekends, and holidays, weekly invoicing net of VAT — with transaction-fee commissions on permanent placements (two gross monthly salaries plus VAT, reduced by 1/12 per leased month). Medical and nursing staff carry a disclosed base rate starting at €20.00/hour, with above-tariff pay positioning used as a worker-acquisition differentiator. Customer acquisition runs through direct phone outreach, on-site visits, WhatsApp, the company website and job board, regional sports sponsorships (e.g., EHC Freiburg, ProKick), and social-cause partnerships. The company is led by managing directors and co-owners Jürgen Brauch and Achim Herr, who together bring over 30 years of temporary staffing experience, and is not venture-backed.

Name

Probono

Legal name

probono GmbH

Website

https://probono-personal.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Probono GmbH is a privately-held German staffing agency in Freiburg offering temporary employee leasing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) and permanent placement (Personalvermittlung) across industrial, medical, IT/engineering, commercial, and logistics sectors, serving regional enterprises in Baden-Württemberg from offices in Freiburg and Ludwigsburg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Freiburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Arbeitnehmerüberlassung (Temporary Staffing / Employee Leasing): The company provides temporary staffing services (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) where it acts as the employer of record for leased workers dispatched to client companies. Billing is based on hourly rates with surcharges for overtime, night shifts, weekend work, and public holidays, calculated against signed timesheets or electronic time-tracking records. Settlement is net plus statutory VAT, with invoices issued weekly or at contract completion.
2. Personalvermittlung (Permanent Placement): The company places workers in permanent positions with client companies. When a client hires a leased employee within or up to six months after the end of the assignment, a placement commission of two gross monthly salaries (plus VAT) is due, reduced by 1/12 for each full month the employee was leased.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Probono provides temporary staffing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung) and permanent placement (Personalvermittlung) services to companies in Baden-Württemberg across five verticals: industry and crafts, medical and nursing, IT/engineering/technology, commercial/administrative, and warehouse/logistics/shipping. The company deploys more than 250 temporary workers under iGZ-DGB collective bargaining terms with above-tariff pay, and supports long-term career placements through recruiting services.

Product overview

Probono GmbH is a regional staffing services provider offering two core services: Arbeitnehmerüberlassung (temporary staffing/employee leasing) and Personalvermittlung (direct recruitment). The company operates across five industry verticals covering Industrial & Crafts, Medical & Nursing, IT/Engineering & Technology, Commercial & Clerical, and Warehouse/Logistics & Shipping. With over 20 years of experience and more than 250 employees in temporary employment, Probono serves clients throughout Baden-Württemberg from branches in Freiburg and Ludwigsburg. Services include short-, medium-, and long-term placements with options for client takeover.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Temporary Staffing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 250 employees placed in temporary staffing assignments with high satisfaction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Interessenverband Deutscher Zeitarbeitsunternehmen e.V. (iGZ)coreOthersThe company is a member of the iGZ (Interessenverband Deutscher Zeitarbeitsunternehmen e.V.), the main industry association for temporary staffing companies in Germany. Employment contracts with leased workers fully incorporate the iGZ-DGB collective bargaining agreements in their current valid versions, ensuring compliance with the equal treatment principle (§ 9 No. 2 AÜG).
• Unternehmensverband Südwest e.V.minorOthersThe company is a member of Unternehmensverband Südwest e.V., a regional employers' association serving southwestern Germany. Membership supports the company's positioning in the Baden-Württemberg business community.
• Zusammen erLeben e.V.minorOthersProbono supports this social organization as part of its social engagement, including a donation handover in 2022 at the old town hall in Emmendingen.
• Freiburger TafelminorOthersProbono supports the Freiburger Tafel (Freiburg food bank), which provides food to people in need, as part of its social engagement program.
• SOS-KinderdorfminorOthersProbono supports the SOS-Kinderdorf charity organization as part of its social engagement activities.
• Radio Regenbogen Charity / Regenbogen KinderprojektminorOthersProbono supports the Radio Regenbogen children's charity project as part of its social engagement program.
• World VisionminorOthersProbono supports World Vision as part of its social engagement activities.
• Haus des LebensminorOthersProbono supports Haus des Lebens (House of Life) in Offenburg as part of its social engagement program.
• Vita AssistenzhundeminorOthersProbono supports Vita Assistenzhunde, an assistance dog organization, as part of its social engagement activities.
• EHC FreiburgminorOthersProbono sponsors EHC Freiburg ice hockey team, including a 'Powerbreak Werbespot' (advertising spot during power breaks) at games.
• ProKick FussballschuleminorOthersProbono sponsored the summer camp 2024 of the ProKick football school in Grißheim by providing jerseys for 60 children.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves2 records

Direct peers

• Persona Service: One of Germany's largest temporary staffing and permanent placement providers, operating across industrial, commercial, and healthcare verticals nationwide. Directly comparable to probono in business model (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung + Personalvermittlung) but with far greater scale and geographic reach.
• Tempton: German temporary staffing provider with strong presence in industrial, technical, and commercial staffing. Similar GTM model (direct sales + relationship management) and customer profile to probono.
• GULP (part of Randstad): Specialized IT and engineering staffing platform operating within the Randstad Group. Directly overlaps probono's IT, engineering and technical staffing vertical, representing the more digital-enabled segment of the same market.
• DIS AG: Major German staffing and recruiting group covering temporary work, permanent placement, and MSP/RPO solutions across multiple verticals. Comparable to probono in core service offerings, with a particular overlap in commercial, technical, and IT staffing.
• Pluss Personalmanagement: German staffing firm focused on industrial, commercial, and skilled trades temporary employment, with regional branch networks similar to probono's. Direct overlap in target verticals and customer types.
• TimePartner: German temporary staffing firm serving industrial, commercial, logistics, and healthcare verticals. Closely aligned with probono in service mix and target customer segments, particularly in southern Germany.
• I.K. Hofmann: Mid-sized German staffing group offering temporary work, permanent placement, and on-site management across industrial, commercial, healthcare, and logistics verticals. Comparable to probono in service breadth and regional operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Randstad Deutschland: One of the world's largest staffing firms with broad German coverage across all of probono's verticals. Represents the dominant incumbent against which regional agencies like probono compete for enterprise contracts.
• Manpower Germany: Global staffing group with strong German operations in industrial, commercial, and professional staffing. Comparable service mix to probono but with national scale and dedicated digital sourcing tools.
• Adecco Germany: Global staffing leader with a wide German branch network covering industrial, office, and skilled trades staffing. Overlaps probono across virtually all verticals, with greater brand recognition and resources.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/probonopersonal

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Probono