Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft GmbH

What Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft GmbH does

Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft GmbH (HIIG) is a non-profit research institute (gGmbH under German law) founded in 2012/2013 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany. The institute conducts interdisciplinary research on the relationship between the internet and society, with thematic focus areas spanning platform governance, data governance, AI and society, digital sustainability, and the digital future of work. HIIG is governed in association with Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, operating without equity investors and funded primarily through institutional research grants and public funding bodies.

The institute's outputs are delivered exclusively through open access channels under Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0 licensing. Core products include the peer-reviewed Internet Policy Review journal, the HIIG Discussion Paper Series, the annual encore research magazine, the Digital Society Blog, and the Elephant in the Lab science communication blog. Public engagement products include the KI-Kompass card game for AI literacy, the Data Governance Wegweiser handbook for public administrations, the Wahlkompass Digitales voting guide, and open educational resources. Recurring event series include the monthly Digitaler Salon (since 2012) and the "Making sense of the digital society" lecture series co-organized with the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb). Distribution spans digital platforms (blog, podcast "Exploring Digital Spheres", YouTube, newsletter) and in-person events.

HIIG serves three primary audience segments: academic researchers and scholars seeking interdisciplinary collaboration and publication venues; policymakers and government bodies requiring evidence-based analysis on digital regulation; and the general public and civil society engaging through accessible science communication. The institute has no commercial pricing model — all research outputs, publications, and events are provided free of charge as part of its public mission. Geographic reach is international via the Global Network for Internet Research, though primary operating markets remain DACH-region focused.

Name

Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft GmbH

Legal name

Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft gGmbH

Website

https://hiig.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft (HIIG) is a Berlin-based non-profit research institute founded in 2012 that conducts interdisciplinary research on internet and society, delivering open access journals, publications, and educational tools to academics, policymakers, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Services (Internet and Society Studies)

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192), Information (51)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs (EDAGAFAJ)

Keywords

• Internet society research
• Platform governance studies
• Digital policy advisory
• Open access publishing
• AI ethics research

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: As a research institute (gGmbH), HIIG operates primarily through institutional funding and grants from public research funding bodies. The institute receives funding for research programs and projects, with information about funding and support available at https://www.hiig.de/finanzierung/

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HIIG produces interdisciplinary academic research and publicly accessible knowledge outputs on the relationship between the internet and society. Its core offerings include peer-reviewed and open access publications (Internet Policy Review journal, discussion and impact paper series, annual encore magazine), recurring event formats (Digitaler Salon, 'Making Sense of the Digital Society' lecture series in cooperation with bpb), educational and policy tools (KI-Kompass card game, Data Governance Wegweiser handbook, Wahlkompass Digitales voting guide), and a podcast series. The institute also runs research fellowship programs for international scholars.

Product overview

HIIG is a research institute (not a traditional software company) offering a portfolio of research publications, event series, and educational tools focused on internet and society research. The core offerings include academic journals (Internet Policy Review), blogs (Digital Society Blog, Elephant in the Lab), discussion paper series, and the annual magazine encore. Public engagement products include the KI-Kompass card game for AI education, the Data Governance Wegweiser handbook for public administrations, and the Wahlkompass Digitales voting guide. Event series include the monthly Digitaler Salon discussions, the lecture series 'Making Sense of the Digital Society' with Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, and recordings available as podcasts. The portfolio spans peer-reviewed publications to accessible educational tools, all centered on understanding and shaping digital transformation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Internet Policy Review Open access, peer-reviewed journal focused on internet policy research, covering platform governance, digital regulation, and internet law. Targeted at academic researchers, policy scholars, and digital law practitioners.
• HIIG Discussion Paper Series Open access publication series making current research results available to a broad academic audience across disciplines.
• HIIG Impact Publication Series Publication series showcasing research impact within the digital society context, targeting practitioners and decision-makers seeking applied insights.
• Digitaler Salon Monthly public discussion series featuring selected guests discussing internet phenomena and technological changes. Available in-person, via livestream, and as a podcast. Open to the general public, academics, and practitioners.
• Making Sense of the Digital Society Lecture Series Lecture series developed in cooperation with the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb) covering digital transformation and societal impacts from a European perspective, including recordings assembled into the Digital Society Compendium.
• KI-Kompass (AI Compass) A card game designed to help users understand what is real about AI hype versus what is exaggerated. Educational tool for demystifying artificial intelligence for general audiences, schools, and public engagement settings.
• Data Governance Wegweiser Handbook supporting public administrations in using data legally and efficiently, providing practical guidance for government actors on data governance compliance.
• encore Annual Research Magazine Annual research magazine featuring selected articles on relevant topics of the previous year, with contributions from science, business, and politics. Published in PDF and digital formats.
• Exploring Digital Spheres Podcast Podcast series featuring conversations with researchers and experts on digital society topics, distributed via the institute's media channels.
• Wahlkompass Digitales Digital election compass showing party positions on digital policy questions, providing voters with policy comparison tools ahead of elections.
• Research Fellowship Programs Research stays and fellowship programs attracting international scholars to collaborate with the institute on internet and society topics, governed via the institute's Forschungsaufenthalte program.
• Digital Society Compendium A collection of current research on digitalization and society compiled from the 'Making Sense of the Digital Society' lecture series recordings, serving as a knowledge resource on digital transformation.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHIIG and the German Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) co-founded the lecture series 'Making sense of the digital society'. This long-term partnership aims to develop a European perspective on the current technological transformation process and its societal impacts. Past lectures are compiled into the Digital Society Compendium.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oxford Internet Institute: A leading interdisciplinary research institute at the University of Oxford dedicated to studying the social implications of the internet. Directly comparable to HIIG in mission, interdisciplinary approach, and policy-facing research output.
• Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society: Harvard-based research center studying cyberspace, digital governance, and law. Closely aligned with HIIG's focus on internet policy, platform governance, and the societal impacts of digital technologies.
• AlgorithmWatch: Non-profit research and advocacy organization examining algorithmic decision-making and AI. Shares HIIG's focus on AI governance, transparency, and societal impact, and operates in the same German/European policy space.
• Ada Lovelace Institute: UK-based research institute focused on the ethical and societal implications of AI and data-driven technologies. Closely aligned with HIIG's AI-and-society, data-governance, and policy-research focus.
• World Wide Web Foundation: International non-profit founded by Tim Berners-Lee focused on a globally open, accessible web. Comparable in mission to HIIG's internet-and-society research and policy engagement.
• Stiftung Neue Verantwortung (snv): Berlin-based think tank working on digital policy, platform regulation, AI, and infrastructure. Operates in the same German policy ecosystem as HIIG and targets overlapping audiences in government and civil society.
• Weizenbaum Institute: Berlin-based interdisciplinary research institute studying the digital transformation of society. Directly comparable to HIIG in mission, geography, and interdisciplinary research agenda on internet and society.
• Hans-Bredow-Institut: Hamburg-based research institute for media and communication, including digital transformation and internet governance. Comparable to HIIG as a German interdisciplinary research institute producing policy-relevant scholarship.

Broad incumbents

• Mozilla Foundation: Larger, better-funded non-profit working on internet health, AI, and trustworthy technology. Overlaps with HIIG on digital policy and AI ethics, but operates a much broader portfolio of programs and grants.
• Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT): US-based non-profit working on internet policy, privacy, AI governance, and platform regulation. A larger, more established player in the same policy-research space as HIIG.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HumboldtInstitut
• Xx.com/hiig_berlin

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft GmbH