NEON advises Cavalry Ventures, VR Ventures and Basinghall Tech on Empion’s exit to Factorial

September 04, 2026 | NEON advises Cavalry Ventures, VR Ventures and Basinghall Tech on Empion’s exit to Factorial

NEON has advised the Venture Capital funds Cavalry Ventures, VR Ventures and Basinghall Tech on the exit of Berlin-based HR-tech start-up Empion to Spanish unicorn Factorial. The purchase price has not been disclosed.

Founded as a research spin-off from WHU, Empion has developed an AI-powered recruiting and automated headhunting platform. Its technology assesses cultural fit, skills and motivations to connect people with roles in which they can thrive. Over the past four years, Empion has matched more than 90,000 candidates and worked with over 500 companies across more than 15 nationalities.

Headquartered in Barcelona, Factorial is a leading provider of business management software, serving more than 16,000 companies in over 90 countries. The company is currently evolving from a traditional SaaS provider into an AI-first platform, with Germany representing a key growth market.

Following a transitional phase, Empion and its team will be fully integrated into Factorial. Founder Dr. Annika von Mutius will join Factorial’s leadership team. Together, the companies share the ambition of building a European AI champion and making the talent lifecycle more effective and personalised.

The transaction strengthens Factorial’s presence in Germany while expanding its local product and compliance capabilities. At the same time, it marks a significant milestone for Empion, its founders and shareholders.

We congratulate Dr. Annika von Mutius, the entire Empion team, Cavalry Ventures, VR Ventures and Basinghall Tech on this important milestone and wish everyone involved continued success in building a European AI champion.