Fronteer and Hello Digital join forces to launch Hello Impact

Dutch consulting firm Fronteer and German digital innovation agency have teamed up to launch Hello Impact. 

The expansion into Germany marks a milestone for Fronteer, an Amsterdam-based consultancy. While the firm has delivered several projects outside of its home market since founding twelve years, they were staffed through fly-in teams from its Dutch office. Germany in particular was a solid market for the firm, on the back of its track record in two of the country’s powerhouse sectors – automotive and industrial manufacturing.

Having collaborated successfully on a number of occasions with Hello Digital, a digital innovation specialist from Berlin, the pair have now formalised matters by establishing a joint venture. Together, the two firms work for players such as Audi, BMW, Porsche, Bosch and Volkswagen.

Under the Hello Impact brand, the two consulting firms will now provide strategy, co-creation and innovation services to the German market. “Hello Impact supports companies that seek a solid partner for strategic projects focused on co-creation, combined with deep expertise in digital execution,” said Martijn Pater, a partner at Fronteer and a Bain & Company alumnus.

Both Fronteer in the Netherlands and Hello Digital in Germany work for corporates and mid-sized companies, and Hello Impact will focus on the same segment. “We have already been delivering projects together, and are now ready to expand our collaboration.”

Commenting on why the duo picked Hello Impact as their brand, Pater said: “That was quite straightforward. We want to be a ‘force for good’ and challenge the status quo. We also want to bring in positive thinking and leverage this approach to come with inspiring solutions.”

Lars Grau and Lieke Ypma, both a partner at Hello Impact, highlight the opportunities they see for value adding services by better blending the worlds of strategy and innovation execution, underpinned by a layer of creativity and co-creation. “Typically,” said Grau, “the people who define the strategy are not the ones who turn it into reality. With Hello Impact we bridge this gap, using our co-creation framework to ensure a smooth transition from concepting to hands-on development.”

Ypma added, “Fronteer and Hello Digital complement each other perfectly combining strategic thinking with innovative doing. We help our clients make a positive impact – and that is our common ground.”

Hello Impact is based in Berlin and comprises a team of 40 innovators, designers, strategen, consultants and change makers. 

In other German-Dutch tie-ups, in December last year Germany’s PharmaLex formed a joint venture with Dutch consulting firm Vintura, while in June 2019, boutique players Hahn Consultants and Kruger inked a partnership.