The Barcelona-based company Factorial has acquired the German start-up Empion, which specializes in AI-driven talent assessment, in a deal that strengthens its position in the German market and expands the capabilities of its people-management platform. With the acquisition, Factorial will add tools for assessing candidates and employees, covering everything from recruitment through performance tracking and employee engagement.
Founded in 2021 by mathematician Annika von Mutius, Empion has built a tool that goes beyond traditional résumé screening. Its system uses AI to match a person's characteristics against those of the company and the role, drawing on factors such as skills, personality, motivation, and corporate culture.
Based in Berlin, Empion has built up a client portfolio that includes Deutsche Telekom, Procter & Gamble, Siemens Mobility, Raiffeisenbanken, and HUK-COBURG, and has raised $9 million in funding since its founding.
Factorial works with more than 16,000 companies in over 90 countries
The acquisition comes amid a period of international expansion for Factorial. Founded in Barcelona in 2016, the company says it now works with more than 16,000 companies in over 90 countries. It reached unicorn status in 2022, and in 2026 closed a $150 million Series D round at a $2.5 billion valuation.
Germany, the company says, is one of its priority markets, and the Empion acquisition lets it gain ground there while bringing in the start-up's technology and team at the same time. "Germany is the most important workplace-technology market in Europe," said Jordi Romero, Factorial's CEO. The deal will add several million dollars in annual recurring revenue (ARR) to the business and will enable Empion's technology to reach the rest of Factorial's client base.
From hiring to talent management
Empion's technology will become part of Factorial and will be gradually integrated into its people-management tools. The company also plans to add psychometric, cognitive, motivation, and skills assessments to the platform, alongside the cultural-fit evaluation tools Empion already offers.
The addition of Empion allows Factorial to expand its offering in recruitment and talent assessment.
The move broadens Factorial's playing field. Until now, the platform has mainly covered areas such as administrative employee management, time off, payroll, and other HR processes; the addition of Empion lets it move more directly into recruitment and talent assessment.
In doing so, the Barcelona-based company aims to connect different stages of the employer–employee relationship within a single platform: from the selection of a candidate all the way through to tracking their performance and engagement.