Headgate

What Headgate does

Headgate GmbH is a privately held, founder-owned executive search boutique headquartered in Altenstadt, Hessen, Germany. Founded in 2005 by Dieter Oldiges and Tim Oldiges, the firm specializes in retained executive search for C-level, Geschäftsführer, Vorstand, and Aufsichtsrat positions, exclusively serving large German family businesses, corporate groups, and Hidden Champions with 1,000+ employees. The firm has completed more than 2,500 executive search projects across eight industry verticals — Automotive, Bau, FMCG & Handel, Industrie, IT, Medizintechnik, and Logistik — and operates with a self-imposed ceiling of two clients per industry vertical to preserve candidate market integrity.

The firm's technology stack centers on a proprietary assessment methodology (Tiefgreifende Persönlichkeitsanalyse / Eignungsdiagnostik), custom-built candidate landing pages, and employer-branded video content that it claims yields a 57%+ candidate response rate, supported by a proprietary executive candidate database and a candidate job portal (jobs.head-gate.de) with LinkedIn and XING single sign-on. Underpinning the offering is a 24-month replacement guarantee under which Headgate re-runs the search at no fee if a placed executive departs within 24 months, an unusually long risk-reversal relative to typical 6- or 12-month retained-search guarantees in the German market. The consultancy has been a fully virtual organization since July 2021, sourcing nationwide and operating primarily in Germany with select activity in Austria.

Headgate generates revenue on a professional-services, retained-fee basis, with mandates priced individually against seniority, complexity, and mandate urgency rather than via published rate cards. Ancillary revenue streams include family business succession advisory, M&A-related leadership advisory, board consulting, and an executive-facing email newsletter (Jobletter) delivered via Klick-Tipp. The firm grew through founder-owned bootstrapping with no disclosed external funding and has accrued five consecutive years of WirtschaftsWoche "Beste Personalberater" rankings (2020-2024) and two Handelsblatt TOP 40 recognitions (2024, 2026), alongside a 4.8/5.0 kununu score across 200+ candidate reviews.

Name

Headgate

Legal name

Headgate GmbH

Website

https://head-gate.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Headgate is a German founder-owned executive search boutique placing C-level, board, and senior management executives into large family businesses and Hidden Champions across Automotive, Bau, FMCG, Industrie, IT, Medizintechnik, and Logistik verticals, operating virtually with a 24-month placement guarantee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

C-Suite & Board Search (BPACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK), General Permanent Placement (Multi-Industry) (BPACAFAA)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• C-level headhunting
• Family business recruiting
• Succession planning consulting
• Board advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Altenstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retained Executive Search Mandates: Headgate generates revenue primarily through retained executive search mandates for C-level, Geschäftsführer (CEO-equivalent), Vorstand (board/executive board), Aufsichtsrat (supervisory board), and senior management positions. Fees are structured as retained search engagements, typically involving an exclusive mandate per industry sector. The company does not publicly disclose pricing; fees are negotiated on a per-mandate basis reflecting seniority level, complexity, and market dynamics.
2. M&A Advisory Services: Headgate offers M&A consulting services alongside executive search, advising on leadership and personnel matters related to mergers, acquisitions, and succession planning in family businesses.
3. Succession Advisory for Family Businesses: Advisory services focused on leadership succession in family-owned enterprises, including identification and placement of successors for founding owners and generational transitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Headgate is a retained executive search and headhunting firm that places C-level executives, managing directors (Geschäftsführer), board members (Vorstand/Aufsichtsrat), and senior managers into German family businesses, hidden champions, and corporate groups with more than 1,000 employees. The firm operates exclusively on retained search mandates per industry sector (maximum two clients per sector), uses proprietary candidate-attraction assets (landing pages and company videos), and backs every placement with a 24-month replacement guarantee. Complementary offerings include confidential/covert searches, family business succession advisory, M&A advisory, and board consulting.

Product overview

Headgate is an executive search and headhunting firm specializing in C-Level and senior management placements for family businesses, hidden champions, and corporations in family ownership (1,000+ employees) across Germany. The company operates a unified service model combining core executive search capabilities with supporting technology components: a proprietary candidate database enabling talent matching, a job portal (jobs.head-gate.de) with LinkedIn/XING authentication for candidate applications, and proprietary executive assessment tools (Eignungsdiagnostik) for cultural fit evaluation. The core Executive Search & Headhunting Service is complemented by specialized modules including Confidential/Covert Search, Family Business Succession Consulting, Board Consulting, and M&A Advisory. Industry-specific solutions cover Automotive, Bau, FMCG/Handel, Industrie, IT, Logistik, and Medizintechnik sectors. The company differentiates through a 24-month replacement guarantee, rapid 9-week placement timelines, and a proprietary candidate persona and assessment methodology. Additional offerings include a Jobletter newsletter service and employer branding support through landing pages and company videos.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 57%+ candidate response rate (nearly 2x industry average) through innovative candidate marketing methodology
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers29 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MatchbirdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeadgate GmbH entered a strategic partnership with Matchbird — described as 'Vitamin B mit System' (networking with system) for Germany's top family businesses. The partnership is positioned as a strategic alliance to provide enhanced networking and relationship services to family business clients. The partnership was announced in the news section of Headgate's website, indicating its strategic importance in expanding the firm's ecosystem and referral network within the family business community.
• gewerbegebiete.deminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadgate GmbH and gewerbegebiete.de entered a cooperation (Kooperation) for personnel recruitment. Gewerbegebiete.de is a platform focused on commercial real estate areas/industrial zones in Germany. The partnership enables Headgate to reach decision-makers in companies located in or considering relocation to German commercial/industrial zones, expanding its candidate and client acquisition reach in the SME/Mittelstand sector.
• Klick-TippcoreTechnology or IntegrationKlick-Tipp is Headgate's email marketing service provider, used to send the Jobletter newsletter and candidate communications. Headgate has a data processing agreement (Auftragsdatenverarbeitung) with Klick-Tipp ensuring GDPR-compliant handling of personal data. Klick-Tipp's servers are located exclusively within the EU, providing a high level of data protection. This is a critical technology partnership for Headgate's candidate engagement and CRM communication infrastructure.
• LinkedIn (LinkedIn Ireland / LinkedIn Corporation)coreTechnology or IntegrationHeadgate uses LinkedIn's Conversion Tracking technology, LinkedIn Insight Tag, and LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms for B2B marketing, lead generation, and candidate sourcing. LinkedIn provides anonymous reports on website audience demographics and ad performance. Lead Gen Forms enable contact data capture directly within LinkedIn's platform. LinkedIn is also used extensively for professional networking, content distribution, and executive candidate identification.
• Google (Google Analytics / Google Tag Manager)coreTechnology or IntegrationHeadgate uses Google Analytics (including GA4) and Google Tag Manager for web analytics and tag management. Google Analytics tracks user behavior, traffic sources, and conversion metrics. Google Tag Manager enables centralized management of tracking tags. Data processing involves EU Standard Contractual Clauses for international transfers, with IP anonymization enabled by default in GA4.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• hkp/// group: Frankfurt-based HR consulting and executive search firm focused on board-level and senior executive mandates in German corporates and family businesses. Most directly comparable German specialist peer to Headgate in target customer and mandate type.
• Rochus Mummert: German executive search firm specializing in C-level and board placements for mid-sized and family-owned companies. Closely comparable in size, customer segment (German Mittelstand / family businesses), and service offering to Headgate.
• Dr. Heimeier & Partner: German executive search boutique focused on senior management and executive placements for family-owned and medium-sized enterprises. Direct comparable in customer segment, retained search model, and Mittelstand focus.
• Baumann Unternehmensberatung: German executive search and management consulting firm focused on C-level and senior management mandates in family businesses and Mittelstand companies. Direct comparable in target customer, family-business specialization, and retained search delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with one of the world's largest executive search practices, including dedicated services for German Mittelstand and family businesses. Overlaps with Headgate on senior executive placement and succession, but with a much broader talent-management platform.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with significant operations in Germany and a tradition of serving family-owned enterprises and DAX boards. Direct overlap with Headgate in C-suite and supervisory board mandates, though at a much larger scale and broader sector coverage.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a German practice focused on CEO, board, and senior management placements. Comparable in deliverable (retained C-level search) but with materially broader geographic and sector reach than Headgate.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global retained executive search firm with German offices serving large corporates, family-owned groups, and PE-backed companies. Comparable in executive search delivery model and family-business clientele, but at a global incumbent scale.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a strong German presence and a dedicated Family Business / Mittelstand offering. Broad incumbent that overlaps with Headgate on retained C-level and board searches, but serves a much wider portfolio of clients and industries.
• Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with a sizeable German practice and a stated focus on family-owned and PE-backed businesses. Comparable in mid-market and upper-mid-market German executive search, with broader geographic reach than Headgate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/headgate
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeadgateGmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/headgategmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/headgate
• Xx.com/HeadgateGmbH

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Headgate