milch & zucker becomes part of EMBRACE’s HR tech ecosystem
Bertelsmann Investments acquires HR tech and HR agency provider milch & zucker as of January 1, 2024, thus strengthening EMBRACE’s HR tech focus
milch & zucker and EMBRACE are bundling their consulting services and recruiting software products into a joint offering. Together, they create a player in the market that employs over 500 people. With its technology portfolio around the BeeSite applicant management system, various AI products, the HR marketing agency and the JobStairs job board, milch & zucker strengthens EMBRACE’s HR tech ecosystem. This ensures successful growth for customers through holistic, forward-looking recruiting solutions in the HR tech and HR agency sectors. milch & zucker will continue to operate independently within the EMBRACE family.Ingolf Teetz, Co-Founder and CEO of milch & zucker: “Our HR tech and consulting expertise is the basis for boosting our growth together with EMBRACE’s marketing and platform know-how. But it’s not just about economic components. We have known each other for a very long time and are convinced that our cultures are a great fit. In a spirit of partnership, constructiveness and friendship. With the aim of actively and successfully shaping the HR sector.”EMBRACE, a portfolio company of Bertelsmann Investments, will continue to expand its HR ecosystem along the recruiting processes in the future. This is the second acquisition for EMBRACE since its reorganization under the umbrella of Bertelsmann Investments in January 2023. The e-learning & career platform Studyflix was already acquired in July.Gero Hesse, CEO of EMBRACE: “milch & zucker has been doing successful pioneering work in the HR tech and marketing context for 25 years. I have been part of this journey since the very beginning. In particular, I have a long-standing relationship with milch & zucker co-founder and CEO Ingolf Teetz, first as a customer and then as an appreciative competitor. In the future, we will pursue the goal of building the leading HR tech ecosystem in German-speaking countries together.”Stefan Eishold, CEO of ARCUS Capital: “ARCUS has held a stake in milch & zucker together with Aheim since 2021. We both actively supported the acquisition and are convinced that the company has found the ideal partner to continue its success story.”
The BeeSite software digitizes and automates recruiting processes, enabling employers to work faster, more securely and more economically. The job advertisement and applicant management system offers a sophisticated range of functions. AI applications and other tools, e.g. for multiposting or landing pages, complement the portfolio.
As an HR strategy and full-service provider, the agency unit manages the holistic employer branding, recruiting and retention of its customers. As a result, milch & zucker positions employers strategically, communicatively and creatively on the market.
As a digital innovation hub, the job platform JobStairs.de offers a transparent partner fee pricing model including a job board, job ad AI and multiposting interface.
milch & zucker currently employs around 150 people at its locations in Giessen and Hamburg. More information at: www.milchundzucker.deAbout EMBRACEAs part of Bertelsmann Investments, EMBRACE bundles innovative offerings in the areas of recruiting, retention and HR tech. We are united by a common vision: everyone deserves the best possible job and employer. And that is why we are making the world of work more human, more technological and more optimistic. Our strategy is to build the leading HR tech ecosystem in the German-speaking world in the areas of Attract, Hire & Retain. This includes consulting and agency services for employer branding and recruiting as well as scalable HR tech platforms and products.
The EMBRACE family includes milch & zucker, Ausbildung.de, meinPraktikum.de, Trainee.de, JobStairs.de, Studyflix and EMBRACE.Agency. Our annual festival, the associated community and content offerings such as white papers, webinars and podcasts round off our range of services. EMBRACE has more than 500 employees in Augsburg, Bochum, Giessen, Gütersloh and Hamburg. More information at: www.embrace.familyAbout Bertelsmann InvestmentsBertelsmann Investments (BI) bundles Bertelsmann’s global venture capital activities and the growth division Bertelsmann Next. The venture capital arm comprises the funds Bertelsmann Asia Investments (BAI), Bertelsmann India Investments (BII) and Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI) as well as selected fund and direct investments in Europe, the US, Brazil, Southeast Asia and Africa, among others.
The Bertelsmann Next division drives the entrepreneurial development of new growth industries and business areas, including digital health, mobile gaming and HR tech. To date, Bertelsmann Investments has invested around €1.7 billion in over 400 innovative companies and funds. Bertelsmann Investments currently holds over 300 active investments worldwide through its start-up and fund network.About ARCUS Capital
ARCUS Capital AG (“ARCUS”) is an investment company based in Munich that focuses on investments in medium-sized companies in the DACH region. As an independent investor with a flexible investment horizon, ARCUS invests its own capital as well as the capital of selected co-investors. The aim of the investment strategy is to further develop the companies as an entrepreneurial partner together with the management. To this end, the ARCUS team contributes its many years of experience as managing directors of medium-sized companies and its practical knowledge in the areas of strategy development, finance and company acquisitions. The company portfolio currently consists of industrial, media and online companies with a total turnover of approx. 300 million euros. More at: http://www.arcuscapital.de/Contact:Ms. Tania Teetz
milch & zucker – Talent Acquisition & Talent Management Company AG
Friedrich-List-Str. 23
35398 Giessen
E-mail: t.teetz ( a ) milchundzucker.de
Phone: (49) 641 – 300 20 500