What Xxcellence.net does

Xxcellence.net is a German career network founded in 2006 by attorney Carmen Felsing that connects over 20,000 female managers, academics, and self-employed professionals across Germany. The organization operates as a service platform (Dienstleister) for its members — referred to as 'xxcellencen' — offering career counseling and application coaching, monthly networking meetings (Karrieretreffen) and regulars' tables (Stammtische), supervisory board training, mentoring via its Crossmentoring program, and a job-matching platform called Job Net. The network is concentrated geographically in the Rhine-Ruhr region (Düsseldorf, Köln, Neuss, Mönchengladbach) but extended to online formats via Zoom and Microsoft Teams after 2020.

The core technology stack is modest: a WordPress-based website with the Job Net job-matching platform (developed in partnership with IT firm PRODYNA in 2018), newsletter distribution via Cleverreach, and standard virtual-event tooling. Job Net allows members to publish anonymized CVs and enables employers to search more than 6,000 curated keywords for candidate matching. The legal operating entity is crossmentor.com GmbH (HRB 17297, Amtsgericht Neuss), headquartered at Klausner Str. 24, Kaarst, Germany, with Carmen Felsing as managing director.

The revenue model combines a freemium individual membership with a 100 EUR net/year premium tier, transaction fees from Job Net CV releases to employers, paid online training workshops (100-200 EUR plus VAT per session) covering compliance and labor-law topics, and a 20% revenue-share from self-employed member referrals. Operations are run by a small core team of approximately 20 volunteers and part-time contributors, including professionals from Zalando, Rheinmetall, Cenit AG, and Audicon. There is no evidence of institutional venture or private equity backing; the only documented capital raise was a ~15,000 EUR crowd-investing campaign around 2016.

Name

Xxcellence.net

Legal name

crossmentor.com GmbH

Website

https://xxcellence.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Networking Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Career Networks (BPAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Job Market Intelligence & Employer Networking Services (BPACAOAJ), Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)

Keywords

• Women professional networking
• Career development services
• Executive job placement
• Mentoring programs
• Corporate training workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Kaarst

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Premium Membership Fees: Annual subscription-based revenue from premium memberships at 100 EUR net per year. Premium members receive cost-free access to network meetings and other enhanced benefits.
2. Job Placement Services: The Job Net platform enables employers to search anonymized member profiles and order full CVs, generating placement-related revenue.
3. Training and Workshop Fees: Online legal and compliance training sessions offered at 100-200 EUR per session plus VAT, covering topics such as AGG, contract law, and compliance management.
4. Partner Referral Revenue: Win-win arrangement where 20% of revenues from member-suggested service providers (self-employed members) flows back to xxcellence.net.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

xxcellence.net operates a career network and professional community for women managers, academics, and self-employed professionals in Germany, offering monthly networking events, career counseling, mentoring programs, a Job Net CV-matching platform, online legal and compliance training workshops, and a premium membership tier. The network also connects corporate employers seeking female executive talent through anonymized candidate searches on its Job Net platform.

Product overview

Xxcellence.net is a career network and professional community for managers, academics, and self-employed individuals, founded in 2006. The platform operates as a unified service combining a job portal (Job Net), premium membership subscription, mentoring programs (Crossmentoring), networking events, and online training/workshops. The core offering centers on professional development and career advancement through peer exchange, with additional services including recommended service providers from the network and a newsletter distribution system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• XXC Crossmentoring: A mentoring program offered as part of xxcellence.net's services to support professional development of members.
• Job Net (jobnet.xxcellence.net)
• Premiummitgliedschaft (Premium Membership)

Products and services

• xxcellence.net Job Net A job portal platform enabling members to create profiles and upload CVs while allowing employers to search anonymized resumes and connect with qualified female candidates from the network, with over 6,000 curated keyword search terms for candidate-employer matching.
• Premiummitgliedschaft (Premium Membership) An annual paid membership tier at 100 EUR net + VAT per year with automatic renewal that waives the 10 EUR organizational fee for network meetings and provides enhanced community benefits to members.
• XXC Crossmentoring A mentoring program connecting experienced professionals with members seeking career guidance, professional development support, and supervisory board training.
• Karrieretreffen und Netzwerktreffen (Career and Networking Meetings) Monthly in-person and online career networking meetings and regular meetups facilitating professional exchange and networking among members, hosted at corporate partner venues in the Rhine-Ruhr region and virtually via Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
• Online-Schulungen und Rechtsworkshops (Online Training and Legal Workshops) Virtual training sessions and workshops covering topics such as compliance, contract law, anti-discrimination law (AGG), product liability, and GDPR, priced at 100-200 EUR plus VAT per session.
• Newsletter-Service An email newsletter distribution service powered by Cleverreach that keeps members informed about network events, training opportunities, and organizational announcements.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• ALOS GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALOS, a document management and digitalization solutions provider, is a key strategic partner of xxcellence.net. The company co-hosts the Digitalization Stammtisch series, provides facilities for networking events, and actively supports the network as both a service provider and member. ALOS has been a sponsor since 2021 and contributed to the 15th anniversary celebrations. The partnership includes joint event hosting and expertise sharing on digital transformation topics.
• PRODYNAmajorTechnology or IntegrationPRODYNA, an IT consulting firm, developed the xxcellence.net Job Net platform. The partnership began in March 2018, with Martina Stalter (Sales Manager) and Markus Fröhlich (Regional Manager) leading the technical implementation. PRODYNA also hosts IT networking events for the community.
• Henseler & Partner Rechtsanwälte mbBmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHenseler & Partner, a Düsseldorf-based law firm specializing in labor law, co-hosts HR and compliance events with xxcellence.net. Dr. Almut Riemann (Partner, labor law specialist) serves as a regular speaker and collaborator on HR Stammtisch events. The partnership includes joint content development on employment law topics.
• Kyocera Document Solutions DeutschlandsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerKyocera partners with xxcellence.net for sustainability-focused networking events. Pascal Seifert (Group Director Marketing) presents on digital information management and environmental sustainability. The partnership contributes to the Digitalization Stammtisch series alongside ALOS.
• Recht & Management (Carmen Felsing)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecht & Management, the law firm of xxcellence.net founder Carmen Felsing, provides legal training and compliance workshops through the network. Services include AGG training, contract law, and compliance management courses. The relationship represents an integrated service offering within the xxcellence.net ecosystem.
• crossmentor.com GmbHcoreOtherscrossmentor.com GmbH is the legal operating entity for xxcellence.net. Registered in Kaarst (HRB 17297), the company handles data processing and organizational operations. Carmen Felsing serves as managing director.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• LinkedIn: Global professional network with dominant market position; widely used by xxcellence.net's own members and referenced in their marketing channels. Competes for professional networking and executive recruiting, with growing DEI talent-matching features.
• XING (New Work SE): Germany's leading professional networking platform serving the same DACH market with broader reach. Overlaps in career networking, job placement (XING Jobs), and event functionality; not women-specific but competes for the same members and corporate recruiting budgets.
• Stepstone (StepStone GmbH): One of Germany's largest job platforms with executive search products. Competes with xxcellence.net's Job Net for employer spend on female/senior talent placement, though without the community/peer-network layer.

Emerging players

• Jopwell: Diversity-focused recruiting platform connecting underrepresented professionals with career opportunities. Comparable in mission (diversity hiring, professional network for underrepresented groups) and B2B revenue model (corporate partnerships), though US-focused.
• PowerToFly: Platform connecting women (especially in tech) with employers through diversity-focused recruiting. Comparable in serving female talent pipeline to corporate employers; broader geography but overlapping value proposition around diversity hiring.
• Female One Forum: German women's leadership forum/conference series with networking and mentorship focus. Comparable target audience of female executives and managers with an event-anchored community model.

Others

• WBS Training: German vocational training and re-skilling provider with women-focused re-entry programs. Adjacent rather than direct — overlaps in career training/workshop offerings (legal, compliance, digitalization) and women-targeted career development content, but operates as a paid education provider rather than community platform.

Direct peers

• Business and Professional Women (BPW) Germany: Long-established German chapter of the international BPW network for professional women. Directly comparable membership-based organization focused on female career advancement, networking events, mentoring, and policy advocacy in Germany.
• Ladies Drive: German media and community platform for women in leadership, featuring interviews, events, and networking. Comparable as a Germany-focused women's career/community platform with content, events, and member engagement.
• Femtec.Network: German foundation-backed career network specifically for women in STEM and leadership roles. Highly comparable to xxcellence.net in target audience (female professionals/managers in Germany), career development focus, and event-driven community model.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/xxcellence-net
• Xx.com/xxcellence_net

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Xxcellence.net