“We see ourselves as somewhere between Tinder and SAP in terms of user experience”
András Habsburg-Lothringen, Head of Product at Vicoland, explains what the platform offers customers, its plans, and his reasons for joining the Frankfurt-based start-up.
András, could you please explain what the Vicoland platform does? What are its core functionalities?
The platform enables freelancers to form teams, which we call “Virtual Companies”, or “Vicos”. These Vicos can then implement large, enterprise-level projects for companies. The entire process, from project initiation to final payment, runs via the platform. This massively simplifies everything.
Vicos appear on the platform as traditional service providers. How do they organise themselves?
To this end, we are looking for Vico Leads. These are experienced freelancers who have built up expertise and a network in a field such as software development over many years. The Vico Lead creates a Vico on the platform, enters a few details, and builds a team through their network. The platform then automates all the administration, allowing the Vico to act like a traditional service provider. Contracts, invoices, payments, insurance, and much more. This enables Vico Leads to focus on their area of expertise.
What do customers particularly appreciate about the platform?
The fact that they can collaborate with a Vico so easily. In terms of user experience, we see ourselves between Tinder and SAP: Tinder for customers, if possible, with SAP's complexity running in the background. It's a plug-and-play system – customers don’t have to change any processes to integrate a Vico. Consequently, our teams can start working on customer projects very quickly – typically within 72 hours of the initial enquiry. As a platform, we also have a lot of data that we can provide to customers for reporting purposes. Our Vicos perform impressively: on average, they are 30 per cent more cost-efficient than traditional service providers.
How many Vicos are currently organised on the platform?
Around 650, employing over 10,000 freelancers in 52 countries. The platform has already facilitated the completion of over 1,000 projects for more than 100 clients.
What new topics are planned for the current year?
Many! We are constantly working to improve collaboration between customers and Vicos. A few keywords: We provide standardised, enterprise-level insurance that covers Vicos for clients worldwide. We enable factoring, meaning companies with long payment terms can still work with freelancers. In addition, we perform automated worker misclassification checks based on project data to minimise compliance risks. Currently, we are experimenting with integrating large language models, such as ChatGPT, into our offer creation tool. This speeds up the creation of complex offers, meaning customers receive them even faster.
The Vicoland platform integrates with vendor management systems such as SAP Fieldglass. Does Vicoland complement SAP Fieldglass, or how should the integration be understood?
Our integration enables Fieldglass users to collaborate with Vicos. This adds a new dimension to Fieldglass that the VMS cannot currently offer. The beauty of this integration is how straightforward it is. Vicoland can be set up as a supplier with minimal configuration of the data exchange points. Therefore, the integration can usually be implemented within one to two weeks. For more details, just visit our SAP App Store page!
What is your long-term vision for the platform? Where will Vicoland be in 2030?
Our goal is to transform the professional services market. I’m convinced that Vicos are a much better fit for today's working methods than traditional service providers – think 'New Work'. Currently, the Vicoland platform focuses on implementing digital projects, but why not expand into other areas? Why not have a global law firm as a Vico?
What is your personal background? You studied in Switzerland and then completed your Master's degree in Scotland.
Exactly. After completing a traditional business degree in St Gallen, I ended up doing a computer science master's degree in Scotland by chance. In retrospect, this was a very fortunate coincidence, as it was there that I discovered my passion for technology, which I still pursue today.
So why did you become Head of Product at a startup like Vicoland instead of going into industry?
That was the plan for a while! However, after completing my master's degree, I realised that I was much more interested in entrepreneurship. I wanted to learn how to build a company from an initial idea that generates added value. Given my newly discovered passion for technology, Vicoland was the perfect opportunity to learn as much as possible in this area.
What do you appreciate most about Vicoland?
It gives me exactly what drew me to it in the first place. I am presented with a very steep learning curve on an important and complex problem that we want to solve with Vicos. I can learn from a team that is very entrepreneurial on a daily basis. It has a straightforward culture, free from “internal politics”. I face a new and different challenge every day. And I can see tangible progress — our commitment is making a difference.