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The optioneer Story
optioneer was built to solve one problem: How to make labor migration fair and more accessible while filling gaps in the labor markets in the Global North.
What started with our founder Marcus Grotian in Afghanistan grew into a mission to build real bridges between people and opportunites.
Founder and CEO
Meet Marcus Grotian
Marcus Grotian is a former German Army officer turned activist who learned early on that responsibility does not end with your own mission. In 2011, he served 222 days in Kunduz, Afghanistan as an armored infantryman. What stayed with him was not only the intensity of deployment, but the loyalty of the Afghan local staff who stood by the soldiers every single day. They translated, guided, and often took greater risks to support a cause they believed in. For Marcus, their courage created a bond that could not be forgotten.
Back in Germany after a serious injury in 2015, that sense of obligation only grew stronger. He carried with him the conviction that promises must be honored, especially to those who had risked everything. Founding optioneer is his way of turning that conviction into action. It was never about building an organization for its own sake — it was about keeping a promise: we need to do more to help people from other countries migrate safely to Europe and beyond.
Marcus is known for his pragmatism and persistence. Where others see barriers for bringing more people interested in labor migration in Europe, he looks for solutions. Where others hesitate, he acts. As the founder of optioneer, he channels these qualities into matching potential with opportunities.
In his eyes, everyone deserves a fair chance at a better life, no matter where they come from.
Our Journey
Marcus joins the German military. What starts as a career plants the seed for a lifetime of responsibility.
While serving 222 days in Kunduz, Marcus works closely with Afghan local staff. He sees first-hand how much they risk, and how much international forces depend on them.
Back home, Marcus volunteers to help Afghan local workers integrate into Germany. He’s shocked to find only a handful of mentors for hundreds of people. So he starts the Patenschaftsnetzwerk, a volunteer network to support them.
Chaos at Kabul airport. The Taliban has regained power in a matter of days. The world watches desperate Afghans clinging to planes. Marcus scrambles to protect fleeing people in safe houses in Afghanistan, only to learn that the Taliban storm them. His network works around the clock to evacuate hundreds.
Asked to lead Germany’s Federal Admission Program for Afghanistan, Marcus builds the coordination office from scratch. More than 1500 people are resettled. Every case is proof that a functioning system can change peoples’ lives.
Marcus and partners start building optioneer. The first seed funding is raised and the mission grows: to connect untapped potential in the Global South with urgent labor needs in the Global North.
optioneer launches its first platform pilots in Kenya. A mission that began in a time of crisis now becomes a bridge to opportunity.
In Numbers
Germany needs:
400,000 workers
from abroad every year to fill labor gaps.
75% of employers
in Europe and North America struggle to hire – the second highest rate since 2006.
Between 2012 and 2022 there where
+179M working age people
in the Global South, but not enough jobs.
+66M jobs
in the Global North, but not enough workers.
How to Become an optioneer to Potentially Work Abroad
Take Control of Your Future in Europe
Becoming an optioneer means more than looking for a job overseas. It means taking charge of your migration journey with professional support abroad.
We are not an international recruitment agency — our focus is on migration opportunity consulting, with optional and free introductions to the global job market so you can potentially work abroad.
Step-by-step Process
Register for free:
Fill out your profile with your skills and international qualifications. We’ll evaluate your strengths and, with your consent, highlight potential jobs abroad that align with migration chances.
Guidance through our bot:
BiBi will help you complete your profile step by step.
Access all features with a subscription:
Early bird offer with a 50% discount: 2,499 KES/year (valid until end of January 2026). With our subscription, you unlock full migration advice, training recommendations, and access to global recruitment opportunities.
Become an optioneer
and Register Now
Discover how our platform can make migration work for you — explore our offer and start your path to live and work overseas legally as well as unlock your potential abroad.