Hasso Plattner Institute
Hasso Plattner Institute is a privately organized German university institute in Potsdam offering degree programs, PhD research, and professional training in digital engineering, computer science, AI, cybersecurity, and digital health, serving students, researchers, enterprises, and lifelong learners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersPotsdam, Germany
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Hasso Plattner Institute does
Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI), legally Hasso-Plattner-Institut für Digital Engineering gGmbH, is a privately organized but publicly funded German university institute founded in 1998 by SAP co-founder Hasso Plattner and headquartered in Potsdam, Germany. The institute delivers practice-oriented B.Sc. and M.Sc. programs in IT-Systems Engineering, Computer Science, and Digital Health, alongside supplementary Design Thinking studies through the HPI d-school, the openHPI MOOC platform, the Engine entrepreneurship center, and the Maker Universe fabrication facility. It operates five HPI Research Schools covering Digital Health, Foundations of AI, Information & Data Engineering, Secure Distributed Computing, and Systems Design, supporting a PhD pipeline across 30+ specialized research chairs grouped into the Business & Society, Data & AI, Digital Health, Foundations, Security, and Systems research clusters.
HPI's underlying technology stack combines a teaching and research platform (openHPI), shared AI compute infrastructure (KI-Servicezentrum), and a multi-cluster research environment covering AI, cybersecurity, digital health, and digital engineering. AI/ML work spans transformer-based neural networks for clinical signal analysis, multi-agent AI systems evaluated in healthcare settings, NLP for clinical information retrieval, and optimization algorithms such as the SustainaPrint 3D-printing stress-point predictor. Integrations include Microsoft 365 for internal productivity and a broad web analytics and advertising stack (Google Analytics, Matomo, Meta/LinkedIn/Reddit pixels, PayPal) for marketing.
The institute's revenue mechanics blend recurring public university tuition and government subsidies with professional development fees for open workshops, Design Thinking Coach certifications, and in-house enterprise training, supplemented by competitive research grants such as a $3.32 million four-year NHLBI award. Distribution combines campus-based degree delivery, self-serve openHPI enrollment, online workshop registration, and direct enterprise sales for customized training. Customers span prospective students, researchers, working professionals, alumni, and organizational clients, with named strategic partnerships with MIT (MHACH), Vivantes Klinikum Berlin-Neukölln, and ESMT Berlin.
Hasso Plattner Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hasso Plattner Institute
- Legal name
- Hasso-Plattner-Institut für Digital Engineering gGmbH
- Website
- https://hpi.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Hasso Plattner Institute is a privately organized German university institute in Potsdam offering degree programs, PhD research, and professional training in digital engineering, computer science, AI, cybersecurity, and digital health, serving students, researchers, enterprises, and lifelong learners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hasso Plattner Institute industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education and Research
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Software Engineering & Application Development Training (Languages, Frameworks, Testing) (BPAEANAI)
Keywords
Where Hasso Plattner Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Potsdam
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Hasso Plattner Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Academic Education: Public university-level education in IT Systems Engineering, Computer Science, and Digital Health. Funded through government educational subsidies and student tuition (where applicable).
- Professional Development Programs: Continuing education programs including Design Thinking workshops, AI Product Champions, certification programs for professionals and organizations.
- Workshop and Training Fees: Participation fees for open workshops and in-house training programs for organizations, with pricing varying by format and duration.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Per event | Open Format Workshops - Participation fee per person per event |
| Subscription | Per event | Design Thinking Coach Certification Program |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | In-house/Organization Workshops |
| Subscription | Annual | Academic Programs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Hasso Plattner Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hasso Plattner Institute is a private digital engineering university institute that delivers Bachelor and Master degree programs (IT-Systems Engineering B.Sc., Computer Science M.Sc., Digital Health M.Sc.), Design Thinking supplementary studies through the d-school, online courses via openHPI, and professional development programs (Design Thinking Coach certification, AI Product Champions). It sustains these offerings through 30+ research groups organised into clusters covering Data & AI, Digital Health, Security, Systems, Foundations, and Business & Society, complemented by an AI Service Centre, Maker Universe, and Engine entrepreneurship support.
Product overview
Hasso Plattner Institute is a private university institute for digital engineering located in Potsdam, Germany. The institute offers a portfolio of academic degree programs including IT-Systems Engineering (B.Sc.), Computer Science (M.Sc.), and Digital Health (M.Sc.), along with supplementary Design Thinking studies through the d-school. Beyond formal education, HPI provides continuing education through openHPI online learning platform and professional development programs including AI Product Champions and Design Thinking Coach certification. The institute operates research schools in Digital Health, Foundations of AI, Information & Data Engineering, Secure Distributed Computing, and Systems Design, supporting its mission through an AI Service Centre and HPI Data Center. Additional offerings include the Engine entrepreneurship center, Maker Universe maker space, the Neuland podcast series, and the annual Potsdamer Konferenz für Nationale Cybersicherheit cybersecurity conference.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- d-school – Design Thinking & Innovation: Design thinking education and innovation programs for students and professionals.
- Engine – The Entrepreneurship Center
- openHPI
- Maker Universe
- Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Berlin
- Neuland Podcast
Products and services
- IT-Systems Engineering (B.Sc.) Bachelor of Science program in IT Systems Engineering, HPI's primary undergraduate degree focusing on digital engineering and computer science fundamentals. Targets prospective students seeking top-ranked IT education in Germany.
- Computer Science (M.Sc.) Master of Science program in Computer Science offering advanced studies in algorithms, AI, software engineering, and related disciplines. Targets graduate students seeking advanced computer science education.
- Digital Health (M.Sc.) Master of Science program focused on digital health, combining healthcare domain knowledge with technology skills for healthcare innovation. Targets students pursuing careers at the intersection of healthcare and technology.
- HPI d-school Design Thinking Program Design thinking education platform offering supplementary studies for students, Design Thinking Coach certification, and workshops and programs for professionals and organizations seeking innovation skills.
- openHPI Online Learning Platform Online learning platform offering educational content on digital technologies and IT topics for students and lifelong learners. Targets individual learners and the public seeking free digital engineering education.
- Engine - The Entrepreneurship Center Entrepreneurship center providing resources and programs for student founders, researchers, and aspiring tech entrepreneurs launching startups.
- Maker Universe Maker space facility supporting hands-on prototyping and creation activities for students and researchers at HPI.
- KI-Servicezentrum (AI Service Centre) AI service center providing computational resources and services for AI research and development activities at HPI and partner institutions.
- HPI Research Schools
Quantifiable outcome
- Regular top placements in CHE Rankings - significantly above average in numerous categories
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hasso Plattner Institute
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Hasso Plattner Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability9 records
Feature4 records
Hasso Plattner Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.
- MIT (Morningside Academy for Design and Schwarzman College of Computing)flagshipMIT and Hasso Plattner Institute established MHACH, a 10-year collaborative hub to foster joint research, teaching, and student exchange in AI and creativity. The initiative is led by MIT's Morningside Academy for Design and Schwarzman College of Computing along with HPI.
- Vivantes Klinikum Berlin-NeuköllnminorHealthcare partnership for student project work. HPI students conduct Digital Health Spark projects at the hospital, focusing on need-driven innovation in healthcare settings.
- ESMT BerlinminorHPI d-school cooperates with ESMT Berlin for certain workshops and programs, expanding reach for professional development offerings.
- Industry PartnerscoreHPI maintains active industry engagement through industry partnerships, public partnerships, and academic partnerships programs. Engine entrepreneurship center facilitates industry connections.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hasso Plattner Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ETH Zurich: Switzerland's flagship public technical university with top-ranked computer science and engineering programs. Highly comparable to HPI as a European research-intensive university focused on CS, AI, and systems, competing for similar international students and faculty.
- Technical University of Munich (TUM): Germany's leading public technical university with a strong computer science school and industry partnerships (notably SAP). Direct domestic competitor for top CS talent, applicants, and corporate-sponsored research in Germany.
- RWTH Aachen University: Major German technical university with a strong computer science faculty and industry-aligned research. Competes with HPI for German CS students, especially in engineering-adjacent CS disciplines.
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): German public research university jointly funded by federal and state governments with deep CS and cybersecurity research. Closely comparable in research-cluster structure and German public-finance model.
- EPFL: Switzerland's other top technical university with a tightly focused engineering and CS portfolio. Comparable to HPI in size, research intensity, and emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship.
Regional players
- TU Berlin: Berlin-based public technical university and HPI's closest geographic peer in Germany. Overlaps with HPI on CS, AI, and digital health programs and competes for the same regional applicant pool.
Broad incumbents
- MIT Schwarzman College of Computing: MIT's hub for CS and AI research; explicit counterparty in the MHACH partnership. Comparable in research output and brand, but operates at much larger scale and offers broader degree and research options.
- Stanford University (incl. Hasso Plattner Institute of Design / d.school): Shares HPI's namesake founder (Hasso Plattner funded Stanford's d.school) and operates a globally top-ranked CS program plus a design thinking institute — directly comparable to HPI's d-school franchise.
- Carnegie Mellon University (School of Computer Science): US research university widely regarded as a global leader in computer science and AI. Comparable on research excellence and industry pipeline, though at substantially larger scale and US-based.
Emerging players
- Coursera: Global online learning platform partnering with universities to deliver CS, AI, and data science courses at scale. Comparable to openHPI in digital delivery, and a structural competitor for HPI's lifelong-learning and professional audiences.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hasso Plattner Institute social profiles
Digital presenceHasso Plattner Institute compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Hasso Plattner Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hasso Plattner Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Hasso Plattner Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hasso Plattner Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments7 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hasso Plattner Institute
What does Hasso Plattner Institute do?
Hasso Plattner Institute is a private digital engineering university institute that delivers Bachelor and Master degree programs (IT-Systems Engineering B.Sc., Computer Science M.Sc., Digital Health M.Sc.), Design Thinking supplementary studies through the d-school, online courses via openHPI, and professional development programs (Design Thinking Coach certification, AI Product Champions). It sustains these offerings through 30+ research groups organised into clusters covering Data & AI, Digital Health, Security, Systems, Foundations, and Business & Society, complemented by an AI Service Centre, Maker Universe, and Engine entrepreneurship support.
Is Hasso Plattner Institute a public or private company?
Hasso Plattner Institute is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Hasso Plattner Institute founded?
Hasso Plattner Institute was founded in 1999. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Hasso Plattner Institute based?
Hasso Plattner Institute is headquartered in Potsdam, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Hasso Plattner Institute make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Academic Education is the primary driver. The others are professional Development Programs and workshop and Training Fees.
Who are Hasso Plattner Institute's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ETH Zurich, Technical University of Munich (TUM), RWTH Aachen University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and EPFL. TU Berlin is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, Stanford University (incl. Hasso Plattner Institute of Design / d.school) and Carnegie Mellon University (School of Computer Science). Coursera is listed as an emerging player.
Does Hasso Plattner Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hasso Plattner Institute.
What industry is Hasso Plattner Institute in?
Hasso Plattner Institute's product category is Higher Education and Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEANAI, Software Engineering & Application Development Training (Languages, Frameworks, Testing). Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8700.