A fast-growing German aerospace company needed to hire elite US engineers competing directly with SpaceX and NASA. Their existing compensation structure was not compatible with US expectations or regulations. We designed a bespoke cross-border equity plan that made the offer competitive, compliant, and easy to understand — unlocking access to a highly limited talent pool.
Industry
Aerospace / DeepTech
Stage
Hyper-growth
Geography
Germany → United States
How it works
Challenge
The client was competing for a very small pool of elite US-based aerospace engineers — many of whom were working at SpaceX or NASA. However, their German-based compensation structure was not aligned with US expectations, particularly around equity incentives. Creating a competitive offer required navigating two fundamentally different legal systems: German corporate law and US tax, employment, and benefits regulations. Without a compliant and attractive structure, the company risked losing critical hires or being forced to restructure as a US entity.
01
What was at stake
ability to attract top-tier US aerospace talent
competitiveness vs. SpaceX-level compensation
avoiding costly corporate restructuring into the US
02
Key pain points
incompatible DE vs. US legal frameworks
lack of US-ready equity incentive structure
extremely limited talent pool (~10 key candidates)
pressure to move fast in a competitive hiring market
How it works
Solution
We designed a bespoke employee stock option plan tailored for US hires while remaining compliant with German law. The solution aligned incentives with US market expectations without requiring corporate restructuring. The result was a “hybrid” system bridging two incompatible legal frameworks into a single, functional model.
How it works
Our approach
Book an appointment
01
Diagnose
analysis of German corporate structure vs. US hiring needs
identification of legal gaps in equity compensation
benchmarking against SpaceX-level compensation expectations
02
Design the structure
creation of a cross-border ESOP framework
alignment with US tax, employment, and benefits rules
ensuring compliance with German corporate requirements
03
Implement & align
coordination with German legal counsel
simplification of the plan for employee understanding
final rollout for US hires
who we help
What we delivered
01
Cross-border ESOP structure
Goal: make a German company competitive in the US talent market
02
Dual compliance (DE + US)
Goal: ensure legal validity across both jurisdictions
03
US-style incentive logic
Goal: match expectations of SpaceX-level engineers
04
Employee-friendly structure
Goal: make the plan understandable and attractive
05
No restructuring required
Goal: avoid converting the company into a US entity
How it works
Result
The company successfully hired a key US aerospace engineer — which led to onboarding an entire team of specialists. In total, around 10 high-value employees joined, significantly strengthening the company’s technical capabilities. The client achieved US-level hiring competitiveness without restructuring the business.
How it works
Result
~10hires
Highly specialized US aerospace engineers
~2weeks
Time to design and deliver the plan