Munich, July 30, 2020 – Wayra Germany, the open innovation hub of Telefónica, is investing in the Munich HR-Tech Cobrainer. Previously, the start-up had successfully implemented its AI-supported platform for employee and organizational development in the telecommunications group Telefónica. With this investment, wayra Germany is further expanding its partnership with Cobrainer and providing strategic support to the start-up in its international growth.

Cobrainer develops an AI-supported platform for companies and their employees for internal staffing and competence management. The Bavarian start-up was founded in 2013 from a research project at the TU Munich around Managing Director Hanns-Bertin Aderhold. The AI-based technology creates a cross-divisional overview of existing and demanded skills in the company. This allows managers within a company to make better use of existing potential and plan ahead to build up required skills internally at an early stage by offering further training. 

Cobrainers BEYOND for Telefónica

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Last year, wayra Germany and Cobrainer began working closely together to integrate the innovative HR solution into the Telefónica Group. From an initial pilot project, Cobrainer developed the BEYOND platform in May this year as part of the group-wide human resources strategy, which encourages employees to grow personally and professionally within the company. The Group intends to rely even more on its own employees in the future. By the end of 2022, for instance, 70 percent of all vacant positions are filled exclusively internally. 

"We have implemented the first pilot steps in record time. With the wayra team at our side, we were able to respond precisely to the Telefónica Group's needs and integrate our solution optimally into the existing environment - this would not have been possible otherwise. Thanks to the Innovation Hub's long-term commitment, we have a great partner on board to help the Telefónica Group in other countries as well. Particularly in times of crisis, such as those we are currently experiencing, the further advancement of our own employees is more critical than ever,” says Hanns-Bertin Aderhold, Managing Director of Cobrainer.

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"We are very pleased to further support the development of Cobrainer. It is an investment in a strong team and a great product that will become a key factor for companies in managing talents and internal resources," adds Florian Bogenschütz, Managing Director at wayra Germany. "In the current COVID 19 pandemic, many companies are struggling with restructuring processes and budget restrictions, making it difficult to recruit new employees. In a short time, Cobrainer was able to provide Telefónica with a tool to achieve its own goal of filling vacancies predominantly internally".

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