APT fixes the match before the hire — not after.
Cost of a failed executive hire
Gartner / HBR
Transformations fail to achieve ambitions
Bain, 2024
When senior hires fail
40–60% of senior transformation hires
Transformation hiring is broken at the root.
The problem is not strategy. It is not budget. It is the cognitive mismatch between the hire and the conditions of the role. Standard recruiting selects against transformation traits at every stage. CVs measure the past. Interviews reward presentation. Neither predicts performance in ambiguity.
Transformations fail
Business transformations fail to achieve their ambitions (Bain, 2024)
Digital initiatives fail
Digital transformation initiatives fail to meet objectives (BCG, 850+ companies)
Senior hires fail
40–60% of senior transformation hires fail within 18 months
The incumbents are optimising for the wrong thing.
Every existing solution addresses a symptom. None addresses the root cause: no one assesses the role as rigorously as the candidate. No one matches on cognitive dimensions. No one tracks retention outcomes.
Traditional Headhunters
Korn Ferry, Egon Zehnder, Spencer Stuart
- Match credentials to job description — not cognitive fit
- No cognitive assessment whatsoever
- 20–25% fee, no retention data, no post-placement support
- Fee paid regardless of outcome
Psychometric Tools
Hogan, Big Five, MBTI
- Measure personality — not transformation-specific cognitive traits
- Not integrated with recruiting workflow
- No matching algorithm
- No role context profiling
Internal HR / LinkedIn Sourcing
- Speed over fit — selection bias toward available candidates
- Zero predictive data on transformation performance
- No structured cognitive or contextual evaluation
The gap: No one assesses the role as rigorously as the candidate. No one matches on cognitive dimensions. No one tracks retention outcomes.
APT matches cognitive profile to role context. Before the hire.
Three integrated stages — each one addressing a failure mode that incumbents ignore entirely.
Stage 1 — CognitiveEdge Assessment
28-minute validated digital screen measuring 5 cognitive dimensions specific to transformation performance. No medical data. No diagnostic labels. GDPR-by-design.
Live at app.apt-match.com
Stage 2 — Role Context Profile
Structured brief defining the cognitive demands of the specific mandate: transformation complexity, decision autonomy, ambiguity level, cultural environment.
We assess the role as rigorously as the candidate.
Stage 3 — APT Match Score
Dimensional fit algorithm. Ranked shortlist of 2–4 candidates with predicted retention probability per dimension.
Not a guess — a structured case with reasoning behind every placement.
5 dimensions. 28 minutes. No right or wrong answers.
Absorption & Drive
Sustained focus on complex, ambiguous problems
Ambiguity Tolerance
Decisive action without complete information
Decision Calibration
Strategic risk — not impulsive, not avoidant. Behavioural task, not self-report.
Inductive Reasoning
Pattern recognition under time pressure
Resilience & Recovery
Speed of return to action-capable state after setback
Key Differentiator
Dimension 3 — Decision Calibration — is a behavioural decision task. It is the only non-self-report dimension in the assessment.
It measures what people actually do, not what they think they do.
Every other psychometric tool on the market relies entirely on self-report. APT does not.
Live: app.apt-match.com
$246 billion market. Growing at 5–10% CAGR. Zero cognitive-edge players.
Global executive search market
2025 baseline, growing to $407B by 2034 at 5.1% CAGR
Retained executive search
APT's addressable segment of the global market
DACH beachhead
~4,000 active transformation mandates/year at Director+ × €40K avg fee
Three beachhead segments
PE-backed Mittelstand
Post-merger integration. Cognitive fit is directly value-determining — the wrong hire delays integration and destroys deal value.
Series B/C Deep Tech
Scale-up execution. Ambiguity and speed-to-pattern are non-negotiable. Founders cannot afford a mis-hire at the leadership layer.
Transformation-heavy Corporates
Digitalisation, restructuring. The wrong hire sets the whole initiative back. Boards are increasingly accountable for transformation ROI.
Retained search fee + data licensing. Margin improves with every placement.
Revenue Streams
Stream 1 — Retained Search
20–25% of first-year compensation. Target: €40–55K per Director+ placement. Average Director+ salary DACH: €180–250K. Gross margin: ~70% (boutique model).
Stream 2 — Assessment API (Phase 2)
License CognitiveEdge to other recruiting firms as infrastructure. Transforms APT from boutique into category-defining platform.
The Retention Data Flywheel
Every placement generates 90-day outcome data → better matching → better retention → higher pricing power → more mandates → more data.
This flywheel is the moat. It cannot be bought. It must be built.
APT vs. Standard Recruiting
Product is live. First mandates in closing.
What Is Built
CognitiveEdge Assessment — app.apt-match.com (live, 5 dimensions, validated scoring)
Marketing site — apt-match.com (live)
Admin dashboard, candidate portal, matching algorithm — built and deployed
GDPR-compliant infrastructure — EU servers, Frankfurt
What Is In Progress
First mandates: preferred fee in exchange for reference rights + anonymised retention data
I/O psychologist content validity review: €5–15K, planned
Assessment API architecture: Phase 2
Why Now
88%
Of transformations fail (Bain 2024) — the problem is structural and growing
55%
More likely to adopt AI tools — high-edge profiles lead the transition (EY 2025)
22%
Of all jobs fundamentally transformed by 2030 (WEF) — demand for transformation talent accelerates
[PLACEHOLDER — Insert founder bios here]
Replace all placeholders before sharing externally.
Founder 1: [Name]
[Title]
- [Credential line 1]
- [Credential line 2]
- [Credential line 3]
Founder 2: [Name]
[Title]
- [Credential line 1]
- [Credential line 2]
- [Credential line 3]
Advisor: [Name]
[Role / Institution]
- [Advisory focus area]
- [Relevant credential]
We are raising [INSERT AMOUNT].
Use of Funds
I/O Psychologist Validation
Content validity review — €15K. Establishes scientific defensibility of the CognitiveEdge Assessment.
First 10 Mandate Closings
Sales and operations to close the first design-partner mandates and begin building the retention dataset.
Assessment API Architecture
Phase 2 infrastructure — the foundation for licensing CognitiveEdge to other recruiting firms.
Legal & Compliance
Swiss entity formation, IP protection, GDPR compliance.
What We Need Beyond Capital
- 2–3 introductions to CHOs or transformation leads in PE-backed Mittelstand or DACH deep tech
- Advisory: I/O psychology, executive search industry, DACH venture
One Number to Remember
10–15×
Annual salary — the cost of a failed executive hire (Gartner / HBR)
APT's fee = one month of a failed hire. The risk-adjusted case is not a pitch. It is arithmetic.
hello@apt-match.com · apt-match.com · Zurich · 2026
The wrong person in a transformation role costs
10–15× their salary.