NextX

WÖRK.APP UG, operating as NextX, is a human resources technology firm addressing the career orientation and recruitment market for Gen Z. Founded in Heidelberg, Germany, in the summer of 2021 by Sebastian Stark, Dan Seiler, Daniel Defiebre, and Dr. Panagiotis Germanakos, the company aims to create transparency between young people and potential employers. The startup, initially named nextx, underwent a rebranding to WÖRK in early 2024, a move accompanied by a fresh design and a large-scale advertising campaign to penetrate new customer regions.

The founding team combines diverse expertise relevant to the company's mission. CEO Sebastian Stark has a background in business management, IT, and event management, with previous roles at SAP. COO Dan Seiler also brings experience from SAP's Young Thinkers initiative and event management. Dr. Panagiotis Germanakos, a co-founder and scientific advisor, is a User Experience Research Expert at SAP with a deep background in Human-Computer Interaction, adaptive cognitive systems, and user modeling. This blend of corporate experience, event management, and deep technical knowledge in user experience underpins the company's strategic approach.

The company's core offering is a mobile application, the "WÖRK Äpp," which functions as a career guidance and job matching platform. It targets school leavers and university students by providing authentic insights into various professions through short, TikTok-style videos created by employees and trainees at partner companies. For its B2B clients, which include companies like SAP, ABB, and Roche, WÖRK offers a platform to build their employer brand and attract suitable young talent for apprenticeships, internships, and entry-level positions. The business model is a B2B platform, generating revenue by connecting companies with a targeted pool of motivated and well-informed candidates. An AI-powered matching system analyzes users' personality profiles to connect them with suitable employers, transforming the traditional candidate journey into an employer brand experience. In April 2025, it was announced that HR tech startup Talent2Go would acquire wörk, integrating its app technology to create a comprehensive solution for recruiting and training management.

WÖRK.APP has secured funding and support from several notable institutions, including an EXIST Founder's Scholarship from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), the Innovation Program for Business Models and Pioneering Solutions (also from BMWK), and the Ferry Porsche Foundation. The company is also backed by investors such as KI Garage, InnoWerft, and the HR-tech company builder allygatr. Keywords: Gen Z recruiting, career orientation, employer branding, HR technology, mobile recruiting, AI matchmaking, authentic job insights, student job platform, apprentice recruiting, video job platform, employer-matching, digital career guidance, WÖRK.APP, NextX, Sebastian Stark, Dan Seiler, Daniel Defiebre, Panagiotis Germanakos, Talent2Go, allygatr