Specialisterne
Specialisterne is a Danish social enterprise, headquartered in Ballerup, that provides IT consulting and data management services delivered by neurodivergent professionals to Danish enterprises, municipalities, and NGOs, supported by its Academy and STU training programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersBallerup, Denmark
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Specialisterne does
Specialisterne is a Danish social enterprise founded in 2004 by Thorkil Sonne and headquartered in Ballerup, Denmark, that delivers IT consulting and data management services using a workforce composed primarily of neurodivergent professionals, especially individuals on the autism spectrum. The operating entity, SPECIALISTERNE ApS (CVR 27351034), sits beneath the Specialisterne Foundation, which has replicated the model in 26 countries; the company itself employs 101–250 staff and serves Danish enterprise, government, and NGO clients including Danske Bank, Novo Nordisk, LEO Pharma, SDC, Copenhagen Airport, Nordea Automation, Sund & Bælt, Semler Gruppen, Copenhagen Municipality, the Danish Institute for Human Rights, and DA.
The company operates three core divisions. Business Services places consultants into managed-service engagements on client sites, exemplified by long-running relationships with SDC (since 2007) and the Novo Nordisk "Project Opportunity" (since 2013), and more recent work for Sund & Bælt (2018). The Academy delivers a 12-week training program funded by Danish municipalities to prepare candidates for IT roles; the program has been expanded to Aarhus and Odense in addition to the Copenhagen-area base. STU (Specialpedagogisk Uddannelse) is a three-year specialized youth education program, also municipality-funded, that has added AI and generative-AI content to its curriculum. Training and Coaching Services, plus newer product lines such as Psychoeducation and Specialistklubben, round out the offering.
Revenue is generated through three mechanics: fee-based consulting placements under managed-service contracts with corporate clients; municipal contracts that fund the Academy and STU programs; and professional-services revenue from Training and Coaching engagements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and the company does not report revenue or ARR. Underlying delivery is human-driven consulting supported by AI tooling (notably text-mining work for human-rights reporting) and proprietary candidate assessment methodology developed over two decades, with Harvard Business Review describing the firm as the "Gold Standard of Neurodiversity."
Specialisterne firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Specialisterne
- Legal name
- SPECIALISTERNE ApS
- Website
- https://specialisterne.dk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Specialisterne is a Danish social enterprise, headquartered in Ballerup, that provides IT consulting and data management services delivered by neurodivergent professionals to Danish enterprises, municipalities, and NGOs, supported by its Academy and STU training programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Specialisterne industry classification
Industry- Product category
- IT Consulting & Neurodiversity Employment Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171), Management Consulting Services (54161), Computer Training (611420), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource) (EDAKAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Study Skills & Executive Function Coaching (Planning, Organization, Time Management) (EDANADAB)
Keywords
Where Specialisterne is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ballerup
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Specialisterne business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Business Consulting Services: Specialisterne places neurodivergent consultants with client companies for IT, data management, quality assurance, software testing, and administrative tasks. Consultants work on-site at client locations or from Specialisterne offices.
- Specialisterne Academy: 12-week job-oriented course funded through municipality benefits (RAR regional education fund). Academy trains neurodivergent individuals in IT skills and connects them with potential employers. Some graduates become Specialisterne consultants.
- STU (Specialized Youth Education): 3-year IT-oriented education program for young people with autism or similar qualities. Funded through municipal education agreements.
- Training and Coaching Services: Awareness sessions, leadership training, and customized coaching for companies seeking to employ neurodivergent workers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Academy program funded through municipal benefits |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Specialisterne product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Specialisterne places neurodivergent consultants (primarily people with autism, ADHD, and similar qualities) with client companies to perform IT, data management, quality assurance, software testing, and automation tasks. They also run the Specialisterne Academy (12-week IT job training course) and Specialisterne STU (3-year specialized youth education program), supported by an alumni community and coaching services. Core technology is the proprietary recruitment and competence assessment methodology for matching neurodivergent talent to enterprise roles.
Product overview
Specialisterne is a social enterprise that operates as a unified portfolio of services bridging neurodivergent talent with the IT labor market. The core offerings consist of Specialisterne Business Services (IT consulting placement of autistic specialists), Specialisterne Academy (12-week job training course), and Specialisterne STU (3-year IT youth education). Supporting offerings include Specialistklubben (alumni community) and Psychoeducation services. Together these products form a pipeline from education through employment, with Business Services serving corporate clients and Academy/STU serving individuals with autism and similar neurodivergent qualities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Specialisterne Business Services IT and data management consulting services where neurodivergent specialists (primarily autistic employees) are placed with client companies to perform quality assurance, data analysis, software testing, test automation, software development, and administrative tasks. Clients include Danske Bank, Novo Nordisk, SDC, Copenhagen Airport, and Copenhagen Municipality.
- Specialisterne Academy A 12-week job-oriented training course for unemployed individuals with autism, ADHD, or similar neurodivergent qualities who have a background in IT, tech, or STEM fields. Three specializations: Software Architecture, Data Engineering, and Security Operations. Course is funded through RAR regional education fund and the participant's municipality unemployment benefits. Class size of 8-16 candidates.
- Specialisterne STU (Specialized Youth Education) A 3-year IT-oriented specialized youth education program tailored for young people with autism or similar qualities, offering courses in web development, game production, tech, AI, visual design, audio tech, and practical life skills. Delivered at the Ballerup headquarters with approximately 50 students across smaller teaching groups of about 7 students each, attending in-person 3-4 days per week. Funded through municipal education agreements.
- Specialistklubben A community and support network for graduates of Specialisterne programs, providing ongoing connection and development opportunities for neurodivergent employees and their employers.
- Psykoedukation (Coaching and Psychoeducation) Coaching and psychoeducation services for individuals with autism and similar qualities, focusing on understanding autism and developing strategies for the workplace. Also includes awareness sessions, leadership training, and customized coaching for companies seeking to employ neurodivergent workers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 9 out of 13 autism participants in Project Opportunity hired permanently after project period
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Specialisterne
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Specialisterne technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature3 records
Specialisterne partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Autisme UngdomminorSpecialisterne supports Autisme Ungdom, Denmark's youth organization for young autistic people and those with close relations to autistics, aged 13-30 years. This is a charitable support relationship rather than a commercial partnership.
- Solsikkeprogrammet (Sunflower Program)minorSpecialisterne is a member of the Sunflower Program, which makes invisible disabilities visible through the use of the Sunflower lanyard, indicating that a person may need help, patience, or extra time.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Specialisterne competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Mployability: A UK recruitment and employability organization serving disabled and neurodivergent candidates through employer engagement and employment support. It is a regional peer because of the shared placement and inclusion mission, with less emphasis on specialist IT and data delivery.
- Hire Autism: A US employment platform and resource hub connecting autistic job seekers with employers. It is a regional peer because it serves the same talent population and performs a related matching function, although it does not operate a managed IT consulting business.
Broad incumbents
- SAP: A large enterprise with an Autism at Work and inclusive-hiring program. It is comparable through its employer-side neurodiversity employment practices, but SAP operates primarily as a broad technology incumbent rather than a specialist placement consultancy.
- IBM: A large enterprise with an established Autism at Work program and a long-running neurodiversity employment initiative. It is a broad incumbent comparator for employer-side talent and inclusion programs, rather than a direct consulting competitor.
Direct peers
- auticon: A global IT consultancy and social enterprise built around autistic and neurodivergent talent. It is a close direct peer because it combines specialized technology and data delivery with workforce inclusion and employer placement.
- Exceptional Individuals: A UK social enterprise focused on recruiting, training, and placing autistic and neurodivergent people into employment, including technology roles. Its talent-placement and inclusion mission is closely comparable to Specialisterne's.
- Ultranauts: A technology company that builds teams around neurodivergent talent and delivers software and data-related work. It is comparable through its mission-led technology delivery model and use of specialized neurodivergent professionals.
- Neurodiversity Works: A specialist neurodiversity recruitment and employment-services organization connecting neurodivergent candidates with employers and supporting inclusive workplaces. It is comparable in its target talent pool and placement function, although it is less focused on managed IT consulting.
Emerging players
- Mentra: A digital employment and matching platform for neurodivergent talent. It is comparable in its target market and employer-matching function, but its technology-platform model differs from Specialisterne's people-led consulting services.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Specialisterne social profiles
Digital presenceSpecialisterne financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Specialisterne leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles22 records
Specialisterne subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Specialisterne funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Specialisterne 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 Specialisterne
What does Specialisterne do?
Specialisterne places neurodivergent consultants (primarily people with autism, ADHD, and similar qualities) with client companies to perform IT, data management, quality assurance, software testing, and automation tasks. They also run the Specialisterne Academy (12-week IT job training course) and Specialisterne STU (3-year specialized youth education program), supported by an alumni community and coaching services. Core technology is the proprietary recruitment and competence assessment methodology for matching neurodivergent talent to enterprise roles.
Is Specialisterne a public or private company?
Specialisterne is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Specialisterne founded?
Specialisterne was founded in 2004. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Specialisterne based?
Specialisterne is headquartered in Ballerup, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Specialisterne make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Business Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are specialisterne Academy, STU (Specialized Youth Education) and training and Coaching Services.
Who are Specialisterne's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Mployability and Hire Autism. Broad incumbents are SAP and IBM. Direct peers are auticon, Exceptional Individuals, Ultranauts and Neurodiversity Works. Mentra is listed as an emerging player.
Does Specialisterne have an API?
No public API is recorded for Specialisterne.
What industry is Specialisterne in?
Specialisterne's product category is IT Consulting & Neurodiversity Employment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAKAKAC, Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource), with a secondary code of EDANADAB, Study Skills & Executive Function Coaching (Planning, Organization, Time Management). Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8742.