Lub Gmbh - Linguistische Unternehmensberatung

What Lub Gmbh - Linguistische Unternehmensberatung does

LUB GmbH - Linguistische Unternehmensberatung is a Mannheim-based linguistic business consultancy founded in 2015 as a spin-off from the University of Heidelberg by Dr. Simone Burel. The firm serves enterprises (including DAX-30 companies such as Commerzbank, Deutsche Bundesbank, Daimler, BASF, SAP, Roche, Merck, Zeiss, EnBW, KPMG, and Accenture), SMEs, public sector bodies (Stadt Mannheim, IG Metall, GIZ, Jobcenter Mannheim, Medienanstalt Rheinland-Pfalz), and academic institutions across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, with a stated base of over 100 customers. Service lines span Gender & Diversity, HR & Leadership, CSR & Sustainability, Chatbot & Customer Care, and Crisis & Change Management, operated under the LUB brand and sub-brands diversity company and Fairlanguage.

The firm's core technology combines applied linguistics and psycholinguistics with AI-enabled language analytics through a hybrid human-machine approach. The proprietary methodology is grounded in Dr. Burel's dissertation research on the language of DAX-30 companies and codified into the Female Leadership Management framework containing over 130 scientifically certified measures. LUB integrates partner SaaS platforms for execution rather than developing proprietary AI models in-house: 100Worte for psycholinguistic text analysis, Textmetrics for job-posting optimization, Congree for gender-fair language enforcement, spenoki and verso for automated sustainability reporting, and deinCHATBOT (built on IBM technology) for chatbot dialogue development. The firm also publishes the academic book series 'Sprache & Wirtschaft' with Springer/Metzler.

Revenue is generated through professional services billed at €250/hour plus VAT, fixed-price project packages, workshops/trainings/keynotes, service fees for SaaS-assisted deliverables, and book royalties via Springer/Gabler. The company operates a lean core team of five to six professionals — Dr. Simone Burel (Managing Director), Noah Fleischer (Prokurist), Geneviève Chaumont (Diversity & Text Consultant), Ralph Burel (Office Management/Accounting), and Christina Oßberger (Inclusive Communication Expert) — supplemented by a network of partner organizations. Go-to-market combines sales-led enterprise field sales, inside sales for SMEs and public sector, event-driven thought leadership (keynotes, IHK Magazin column, podcasts), and earned media across FAZ, SZ, Spiegel, Wirtschaftswoche, Handelsblatt, and Die Zeit.

Name

Lub Gmbh - Linguistische Unternehmensberatung

Legal name

LUB GmbH - Linguistische Unternehmensberatung

Website

https://lub-mannheim.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LUB GmbH is a Mannheim-based linguistic business consultancy serving DACH enterprises, public sector bodies, and academia with consulting and SaaS-enabled services in gender-fair language, HR/leadership, sustainability reporting, chatbot design, and crisis communication. Founded 2015 as a Heidelberg University spin-off.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Linguistic Management Consulting

NAICS

Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHDAIAHAF

Contact Center (CCaaS) & Customer Engagement Voice

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Telecommunications & Network Services/Unified Communications & Voice Services (VoIP, UCaaS)

SECONDARYHDAIAHAE

Business Messaging & Team Collaboration

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Telecommunications & Network Services/Unified Communications & Voice Services (VoIP, UCaaS)

Keywords

• Linguistic consulting services
• Gender-fair language advisory
• Diversity management consulting
• CSR sustainability communication
• Chatbot conversational design

Headquarters

HQ city

Mannheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting & Advisory Services: Professional consulting engagements including strategy development, linguistic audits, leadership coaching, female leadership programs, diversity management, crisis communication, and change management. Billed at a consulting rate of €250/hour plus 19% VAT, or as fixed/project packages. Payment terms: 50% on order, 30% during execution, 20% on completion.
2. Workshops, Trainings & Keynotes: In-person and virtual workshops, training sessions, and keynote speeches on gender-fair language, leadership, diversity, and neurodiversity. Cancellation policy applies: full fee for <7 days notice; 20% refund for >14 days cancellation.
3. SaaS & Tech-enabled Services: Software-supported text analysis, chatbot development and training, and automated sustainability reporting using partner SaaS platforms (100Worte, Textmetrics, Congree, spenoki, verso). Revenue generated through service fees for SaaS-assisted deliverables.
4. Scientific Publications & Authorship: Revenue from authored and co-authored books and publications on neurodiversity, gender-fair language, leadership, and crisis communication. Books published with Springer/Gabler and made available via affiliate links and direct sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LUB GmbH provides linguistic business consulting for organizations, combining applied linguistics with AI-enabled text analytics (via partner tools such as Textmetrics, Congree, 100Worte) to help enterprises optimize written communication. The firm delivers advisory and content services across gender-fair language, HR and leadership communication, CSR/sustainability reporting, customer-facing chatbot scripts, and crisis/change messaging, serving corporate, SME, public sector, and academic clients.

Product overview

LUB GmbH is a linguistic business consultancy offering a portfolio of consulting and tech-enabled services organized around five core areas: Gender & Diversity, HR & Leadership, CSR & Sustainability, Chatbot & Customer Care, and Crisis & Change Management. The firm combines qualitative linguistic expertise with SaaS-based language analytics (via partners 100Worte and Textmetrics), chatbot development (via deinCHATBOT and IBM), and automated sustainability reporting (via spenoki and verso). It operates under two sub-brands — diversity company (focused on female leadership and diversity management) and Fairlanguage (focused on gender-fair language) — and publishes the academic book series 'Sprache & Wirtschaft' with Springer/Metzler. The company describes itself as Germany's first linguistic business consultancy, founded in 2015 as a spin-off from the University of Heidelberg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• diversity company: Sub-brand focusing on diversity management and gender equality in the workplace.
• Fairlanguage

Products and services

• Gender & Diversity Consulting
• HR & Leadership Consulting
• CSR & Sustainability Communication Consulting
• Chatbot & Customer Care Communication
• Krise & Change Communication Consulting
• Fairlanguage (Sub-brand)
• diversity company (Sub-brand)

Named customers32 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 100Worte SprachanalysecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing SaaS-based psycholinguistic text analysis. LUB uses 100Worte's software to analyze texts for psychometric factors (emotionality, authenticity, proximity, distance, relationship orientation, performance) applied to leadership analysis, crisis communication, and HR contexts. The tool enables rapid analysis from small text volumes.
• TextmetricscoreTechnology or IntegrationSaaS partner for job posting optimization. LUB uses Textmetrics' tool to analyze and optimize job advertisements for target audience fit, readability, gender-fair language, and SEO. The tool is used for gender and diversity management as well as HR and leadership services.
• Congree Language Technologies GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for efficient and consistent implementation of gender-fair language in organizational texts. LUB uses Congree's tool to support customers in maintaining inclusive language standards across all corporate communications.
• spenokicoreTechnology or IntegrationSaaS partner for sustainability performance analysis, optimization, and communication. LUB uses spenoki's platform to help organizations automate sustainability reporting and ESG disclosure, accelerating the CSR reporting process and making data collection more transparent and accessible.
• versocoreTechnology or IntegrationSaaS partner supporting holistic CSR management.verso products assist organizations with CSR reporting or CO2 footprint analysis at the push of a button, complementing LUB's CSR and sustainability consulting services.
• deinCHATBOTcoreTechnology or IntegrationChatbot development partner. deinCHATBOT provides the technical platform for chatbot implementation while LUB provides the linguistic expertise: persona development, conversational design, text prototyping, and ongoing training based on user analytics. LUB's chatbot texts are integrated into deinCHATBOT's solution.
• IBMcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology infrastructure partner referenced in the deinCHATBOT partnership context. IBM's technology underlies the deinCHATBOT chatbot platform used by LUB for customer chatbot development projects.
• MCEI — Mannheim Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Universität Mannheim)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUB is a partner of MCEI, the entrepreneurship and innovation center at Universität Mannheim. This partnership supports LUB's academic credibility, research collaboration, and startup ecosystem connections in the Rhine-Neckar region.
• Universität HeidelbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUB was founded as a spin-off from Universität Heidelberg in 2015, based on Dr. Simone Burel's dissertation on the language of DAX-30 companies. The university remains a key research partner and talent source.
• REHADATminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPro-bono partnership: LUB contributes articles on neurodiversity and masking to REHADAT's lexicon — the central independent information portal for occupational inclusion of people with disabilities in Germany.
• Mannheimer Bündnis für ein Zusammenleben in VielfaltminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLUB is a member and supporter of the Mannheimer Bündnis (Mannheim Alliance for Living Together in Diversity), a network of institutions committed to a culture of respectful coexistence. LUB joined via the einander.MAnifest.
• Charta der Vielfalt e.V.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLUB is a member of the German Diversity Charter (Charta der Vielfalt), a corporate initiative promoting diversity management in German companies.
• Springer Gabler VerlagcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher partner for LUB's book series 'Sprache und Wirtschaft' (Language and Economics) and individual titles by Dr. Simone Burel and co-authors. Springer Gabler publishes the series and individual books including 'Sprache denkt (fe)male', 'Female Leadership', and 'Neurodiversität in der Arbeitswelt'.
• 2nd International Trans Studies ConferenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPro-bono sponsorship of the 2nd International Trans Studies Conference in Chicago (September 2024), the largest international Trans* Studies conference in the world with 260 sessions and 500+ presenters.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Parloa: Parloa is a Berlin-based conversational AI platform for enterprise customer service. Comparable to LUB's chatbot practice, both serve DACH enterprises seeking to deploy AI-powered customer engagement, with Parloa providing the agent technology and LUB providing the linguistic training and dialogue design layer.
• hkp/// group: hkp is a Frankfurt-based HR and management consulting firm specializing in compensation, governance, and talent. It is comparable to LUB's HR & Leadership consulting practice for DAX and large enterprise clients, though hkp's focus is more financial/HR-governance while LUB's is linguistic.
• Promerit: Promerit is a German HR transformation and diversity consulting firm. Comparable to LUB's HR & Leadership and Gender & Diversity practices, both companies advise DAX and large European enterprises on workforce transformation, leadership development, and inclusion strategy.
• SDX AG: SDX AG is a German linguistic services and language technology company providing localization, terminology management, and content services to enterprise. Comparable to LUB as a DACH-based linguistic services firm serving regulated enterprises, though SDX is more language operations-focused while LUB is consulting-focused.
• moinAI: moinAI is a Hamburg-based AI chatbot platform targeting DACH SMEs and enterprise customers. Comparable to LUB's chatbot offering, both companies focus on conversational AI for European enterprise customers, with moinAI providing the platform and LUB providing linguistic/text services that complement similar deployments.
• Textbroker: Textbroker is a German-based linguistic text services and copywriting marketplace. While Textbroker focuses on scalable content production, both companies operate in DACH professional language services, sell text quality as a service, and serve enterprise customers needing linguistic expertise.
• Cognigy: Cognigy is a German conversational AI platform for enterprise customer service automation. It is comparable to LUB's chatbot practice via deinCHATBOT/IBM, addressing the same enterprise pain point of building authentic, dialog-optimized chatbot experiences — though Cognigy provides the platform while LUB provides the linguistic training layer.

Broad incumbents

• BearingPoint: BearingPoint is a major European management and technology consultancy with deep DACH presence. It addresses overlapping mandates — sustainability, transformation, and HR — that LUB serves through its linguistic and diversity lenses, but at much broader scope and scale.
• SinnerSchrader (Accenture Interactive): SinnerSchrader, now part of Accenture Interactive, is a Hamburg-based digital agency with significant chatbot, CX, and content capabilities. Comparable to LUB's chatbot and customer experience practice at the intersection of technology and linguistic/content design, though at substantially greater scale.
• Kienbaum: Kienbaum is one of Germany's largest HR and management consulting firms. It is a broad incumbent that addresses the same enterprise HR, leadership, and transformation mandates that LUB serves, but at significantly greater scale and with a broader service portfolio spanning compensation, executive search, and HR tech advisory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lub-gmbh-linguistische-unternehmensberatung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Lub Gmbh - Linguistische Unternehmensberatung