Comatch sold to France

The Berlin-based start-up has been advising companies since 2014. Now the company Malt is taking over the company.

Malt claims to be the largest European freelancing marketplace. The Paris-based firm has now swallowed a German consulting giant: Berlin-based startup Comatch, a marketplace for freelance business consultants and industry experts. The investment is expected to help Malt reach a goal it has set for itself by 2024: a project volume of one billion euros.

"Malt and Comatch are united by a shared vision where everyone has a choice of who, how and when they work," says Vincent Huguet, CEO of Malt. "Just like Comatch, we always put our community at the center of our product and the entire company." Comatch co-founder and CEO Christoph Hardt adds, "We believe in a future where digital and strategic projects grow even closer together. That's why we're excited to work together to build Europe's undisputed one-stop store where companies can find the best freelancers for any project."

Malt saw a 39 percent increase in new signups last year. Today, the company has more than 340,000 freelancers - making it the largest freelancing marketplace in Europe, according to the company. The company plans to hire 150 new employees by the end of 2022, bringing the total to 600. The teams will now operate in 11 regions as a result of the acquisition, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Middle East, the Netherlands, North Africa, the Nordic countries, Spain, Switzerland, as well as the United Kingdom.

Comatch, meanwhile, describes itself as Europe's leading marketplace for top freelance management consultants and industry experts. The Comatch network includes more than 15,000 consultants from over 120 countries. In 2014, McKinsey alumni Christoph Hardt and Jan Schächtele had founded the company. It employs over 130 people in Berlin, Paris and London.