Auticon
Auticon, stylised as auticon, is an international information technology consulting firm that exclusively employs adults on the autism spectrum as Information technology (IT) consultants. auticon identifies as a social enterprise. Services mainly focus on IT quality management, including transformation, migration, data analytics data analysis, security and deep web analysis, as well as compliance and reporting.[1]
Type | Limited Company |
---|---|
Industry | Professional Services |
Founded | 2011 |
Headquarters | United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Italy |
Key people | Kurt Schoffer (Group CEO) |
Services | Quality Assurance Consulting Software Testing Data Analysis |
Number of employees | 300, including. 200 with an autism spectrum diagnosis (July 2020) |
Website | auticon.com |
auticon is based in Berlin[2] and currently employs more than 200 members of staff, around 150 of whom are on the autism spectrum.[3] auticon has offices in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, and Italy.[3]
History
Dirk Müller-Remus, who has a son on the autism spectrum, launched auticon in 2011 with an investment of the Munich-based Ananda Social Venture Fund.[4] The launch was inspired by the Belgian company Passwerk.[5] auticon's concept to employ people on the autism spectrum as ICT consultants has since been acknowledged internationally.[6][7][8][9] The auticon model was presented at the G8 Social Impact Investment Forum, held in London on 6 June 2013, in front of 150 leaders in social impact investment.[10]
In 2018, auticon acquired MindSpark,[11] a company in Santa Monica, California founded in 2013 by Gray Benoist, whose two sons are also on the autism spectrum.[12]
Awards
- 2013: IQ Award[13]
- 2014: BITKOM Innovator's Pitch[14]
- 2015: Deutsche Bank, Land der Ideen[15]
- 2015: New Work Award[16]
- 2015: Sonderpreis, Deutscher Gründerpreis[17]
- 2017: Social Enterprise UK Awards, One to Watch Award[18]
- 2019: Milestone Autism Resources "Visionary Employer Award" [19]
- 2020: Fast Company World Changing Ideas [20]
References
- "auticon services". Auticon. Archived from the original on 2015-03-02. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
- "Company Overview of auticon GmbH". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
- "Company | auticon".
- "Investment example Auticon". Ananda Social Venture Fund. Archived from the original on 2014-10-25. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
- "Passwerk Website". passwerk.be. Archived from the original on 2015-05-10. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
- Hal Hodson (29 May 2013). "Rise of the autistic workforce". New Scientist. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
- Laura Lucchini (6 July 2013). "La genialidad que firmas alemanas buscan en una forma de autismo". La Nacion (in Spanish). Retrieved 2015-06-01.
- "IT company hires genius minds". YouTube (video, 2 mins 8 secs). Al Jazeera English. 13 January 2013. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
- Fred Pleitgen (3 January 2013). "Help wanted: Asperger's-only apply" (video, 2 mins 38 secs). CNN. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
- "G8 Social Impact Investment Forum: auticon". YouTube (video, 10 mins 10 secs). Cabinet Office UK. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
- Dana Bartholomew (14 June 2018). "German Employer of Autistic Professionals to Acquire MindSpark". LA Business News. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
- Jane Wakefield (2 January 2019). "Technology: The firm whose staff are all autistic". BBC News.
- "Auticon awarded IQ prize on World Autism Day" (press release). auticon UK. 1 April 2014. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
- "auticon und Talwerk sind die Sieger des Innovators' Pitch 2014" (press release) (in German). BITKOM. Archived from the original on 2015-01-05. Retrieved 2015-06-29.
- "Ausgezeichnete Orte 2015: auticon – Berufsperspektiven für Menschen im Autismus-Spektrum" (in German). Land der Ideen. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
- "New Work Award 2015 - Platz 1: auticon GmbH (Kategorie KMUs und Start-Ups)". YouTube (video, 1 min 22 secs) (in German). XING. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
- "Der Schatzsucher: Dirk Müller-Remus, auticon GmbH, Berlin Sonderpreis des Deutschen Gründerpreises 2015" (in German). Retrieved 2015-07-13.
- "Winners of the 2017 UK Social Enterprise Awards". Social Enterprise UK. Archived from the original on 2018-11-07. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- https://auticon.us/auticons-rebecca-beam-named-visionary-employer-at-the-milestones-national-autism-conference/
- https://www.fastcompany.com/90492149/world-changing-ideas-awards-2020-corporate-social-responsibility-finalists-and-honorable-mentions