OnlyBlue
OnlyBlue is a Utrecht-based recruitment and networking organization founded in 2023 that operates an exclusive community of senior Dutch finance professionals, placing Controllers-to-CFOs and bundling coaching, masterclasses, and talent assessments within the United Colors Group ecosystem.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersUtrecht, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What OnlyBlue does
OnlyBlue is a Dutch recruitment and professional networking organization headquartered in Utrecht, founded in 2023, operating as an exclusive community for finance professionals with five or more years of experience who are positioning themselves to become 'The Next Leader in Finance'. The firm runs a curated member network bundled with a suite of development modules: the BluePrint competency framework mapping the full finance domain, the proprietary NLF-Test for talent-to-CFO fit assessment (developed with neuroscientists and game developers), one-on-one CFO coaching, masterclasses, intervisies (peer learning), the 'Ontdek Ondernemend Nederland' company-visit program, and recurring network events (padel tournaments, sloepvaren boat trips). Its core distribution is a placement service connecting members with Dutch organizations hiring across Controller to CFO roles, with a documented track record of 16 successful placements across PE, agriculture, food safety, technical services, and packaging clients, and 4 active mandates at time of capture.
The business is a four-to-five-person boutique led by Jim Froberg, Jörn Smits, Myk Middendorp, and Annabel Saadhoff, with no external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Revenue is generated through professional-services placement fees on senior finance searches; pricing is not publicly disclosed and engagements are quote-based on role seniority and client requirements. Distribution runs through direct candidate and client engagement plus community-led channels — LinkedIn, Instagram, website content, and physical events in Utrecht and Amsterdam. OnlyBlue sits inside the broader United Colors Group ecosystem alongside YellowFinance (FaaS), OrangeOnly (junior finance talent), BlueOn (executive search), GreenPurpose (CSRD), and LinkinPink (interim finance), which together cover the full Dutch finance-domain services stack. There is no proprietary software, AI/ML model, or public API; the NLF-Test is the only technology-adjacent asset and functions as a branded assessment rather than a software platform. Geographic scope is the Netherlands only.
OnlyBlue firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OnlyBlue
- Legal name
- OnlyBlue
- Website
- https://onlyblue.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- OnlyBlue is a Utrecht-based recruitment and networking organization founded in 2023 that operates an exclusive community of senior Dutch finance professionals, placing Controllers-to-CFOs and bundling coaching, masterclasses, and talent assessments within the United Colors Group ecosystem.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OnlyBlue industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search & Finance Recruitment
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sourcing / Talent Research & Pipeline RPO (Sourcer-as-a-Service) (BPACABAM)
Keywords
Where OnlyBlue is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Utrecht
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
OnlyBlue business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Recruitment and Placement Services: OnlyBlue generates revenue by connecting ambitious finance professionals with organizations seeking financial talent. They act as an intermediary in the recruitment process, matching candidates with open positions in finance functions ranging from Controller to CFO level.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
OnlyBlue product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OnlyBlue is an exclusive Dutch network and recruitment organization that connects ambitious finance professionals (5+ years experience) with organizations seeking financial talent. The organization combines recruitment and placement services for roles ranging from Controller to CFO with career development offerings including coaching, masterclasses, peer intervision, networking events, and proprietary assessment tools (BluePrint framework and NLF-Test).
Product overview
OnlyBlue is a recruitment and career development network organization for ambitious finance professionals with 5+ years of experience in the Netherlands. The platform operates as a network-plus-services model combining a members network with multiple development modules including the BluePrint (career competency framework), NLF-Test (talent assessment using NeurOlympics methodology), Business Coaching, Masterclasses, Intervisies (peer learning), Netwerkevents (networking), and Ontdek Ondernemend Nederland (company visits). Members also gain access to job positions at client organizations. The organization positions itself as part of the United Colors Group alongside YellowFinance, OrangeOnly, BlueOn, GreenPurpose, and LinkinPink.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OnlyBlue Network Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- 16 documented successful placements in trackrecord
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use OnlyBlue
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
OnlyBlue technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
OnlyBlue partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- YellowFinancecoreYellowFinance is part of the same United Colors Group network, offering Finance-as-a-Service. Both organizations collaborate to provide comprehensive solutions within the Finance domain for Ondernemend Nederland.
- OrangeOnlycoreOrangeOnly focuses on young finance talent with 'Jong talent, grote ambities'. Part of the United Colors Group collaboration providing total solutions within the Finance domain.
- BlueOncoreBlueOn is the Finance executive search component of the network, specializing in finding CFOs for Scale-Ups, Private Equity, and DGA companies within Ondernemend Nederland.
- GreenPurposecoreGreenPurpose specializes in CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) services, keeping compliance simple. Part of the United Colors Group offering comprehensive Finance domain solutions.
- LinkinPinkcoreLinkinPink provides Interim Finance Management powered by a strong community. Specializes in temporary CFO and finance professional placements, working within the United Colors Group ecosystem.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
OnlyBlue competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- YER: Major Dutch recruitment firm with strong finance and professional-services practices. Directly competes for Controller-to-manager finance placements in the Netherlands and operates in the same geography and seniority band as OnlyBlue.
- Egon Zehnder: Global executive-search firm with a strong Financial Services and CFO practice. Comparable for placing senior finance leaders into Dutch and European enterprises, though operating at a higher price point and seniority tier than OnlyBlue.
- OrangeOnly: Sister brand within the United Colors Group focused on young finance talent ('Jong talent, grote ambities'). Comparable because it serves the same Dutch finance-candidate market with the same community-led approach, just targeting the entry-level end of the funnel that OnlyBlue's mid/senior network feeds into.
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Financial Officers Practice placing CFOs and senior finance leaders. Comparable because it targets the same 'next leader in finance' candidate pool globally, including the Netherlands, and competes for senior finance mandates.
- LinkinPink: Sister brand focused on interim finance management, powered by a community of finance professionals. Highly comparable because it shares the community-led placement DNA with OnlyBlue and serves overlapping Dutch mid-market clients.
- BlueOn: Sister brand within the United Colors Group specializing in CFO executive search for Dutch scale-ups, PE, and DGA companies. Directly comparable because it targets the same senior finance-candidate pool OnlyBlue cultivates, just at a more senior placement tier.
Broad incumbents
- Brunel: Dutch-headquartered international recruitment and project-services firm with finance & legal practices. Comparable for its Dutch roots and finance-recruitment capability, but serves a much broader cross-border portfolio than OnlyBlue.
- Robert Half: Global staffing firm specializing in finance, accounting, and administrative placements. Comparable for its dedicated Dutch finance-recruitment practice but a much larger, broader incumbent than the niche OnlyBlue community.
- Michael Page: Global PageGroup brand with a substantial Dutch finance & accounting recruitment desk. Comparable because it places Controllers, Finance Managers, and CFOs into Dutch enterprises — but operates as a broad incumbent across many functions and geographies rather than OnlyBlue's boutique community approach.
- Hays: Global professional-recruitment firm with a well-established Netherlands operation covering finance, accounting, and senior finance hires. Competes in the same Dutch Controller-to-Finance-Manager segment but with significantly broader scale and sector coverage.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
OnlyBlue social profiles
Digital presenceOnlyBlue financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OnlyBlue leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
OnlyBlue funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OnlyBlue 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 OnlyBlue
What does OnlyBlue do?
OnlyBlue is an exclusive Dutch network and recruitment organization that connects ambitious finance professionals (5+ years experience) with organizations seeking financial talent. The organization combines recruitment and placement services for roles ranging from Controller to CFO with career development offerings including coaching, masterclasses, peer intervision, networking events, and proprietary assessment tools (BluePrint framework and NLF-Test).
Is OnlyBlue a public or private company?
OnlyBlue is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was OnlyBlue founded?
OnlyBlue was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is OnlyBlue based?
OnlyBlue is headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does OnlyBlue make money?
One revenue line is on record: recruitment and Placement Services.
Who are OnlyBlue's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are YER, Egon Zehnder, OrangeOnly, Heidrick & Struggles, LinkinPink and BlueOn. Broad incumbents are Brunel, Robert Half, Michael Page and Hays.
Does OnlyBlue have an API?
No public API is recorded for OnlyBlue.
What industry is OnlyBlue in?
OnlyBlue's product category is Executive Search & Finance Recruitment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACABAM, Sourcing / Talent Research & Pipeline RPO (Sourcer-as-a-Service). Its SIC code is 7361.