Know-Center

What Know-Center does

Know Center Research GmbH, operating as Know-Center, is a privately held Austrian research and innovation center founded in 2001 and headquartered in Graz. The organization focuses on Trustworthy AI and Data Science, structured around six strategic research areas — Data Management for AI, Data Privacy for AI (including quantum-safe cryptography), Methods & Algorithms for AI, Human-AI Interaction, Fair AI, and Digital Transformation Design — and three Austrian government-funded COMET modules covering agent-centric AI (IACAI), data-driven AI (DDAI), and immersive analytics (DDIA). Its commercial surface includes the KnowMiner Enterprise Search product, the KI-Gütesiegel (AI Quality Seal) certification service for EU AI Act compliance, and a portfolio of consulting and applied research engagements in industrial AI, business process optimization, recommender systems, and data spaces.

The company serves enterprise clients across industry, energy, healthcare, agriculture, and the public sector, alongside public funding bodies including Austrian federal ministries (BMIMI, BMWET), regional governments (Land Steiermark, Stadt Wien), and funding agencies (FFG, SFG), as well as EU research programs and the BDVA network. Its go-to-market combines enterprise field sales (with direct booking of AI consulting engagements), event-driven demand generation via the annual AI Know conference in Graz, and content-led thought leadership through research publications and the Innovation Insights blog. The business model is a hybrid of professional services (consulting, advisory, applied research projects on multi-year contracts) and publicly funded research, with quote-based project pricing rather than standardized public pricing.

Technically, Know Center differentiates through expertise in quantum-safe cryptographic procedures (Private Set Intersection, joint encrypted evaluations, quantum-safe applications), explainable and fair AI algorithms with bias detection and mitigation, and agent-centric AI research. It holds ISO 9001:2015 certification from Bureau Veritas and maintains formal partnerships across the European data and AI ecosystem, anchoring its positioning around the regulatory tailwind of the EU AI Act and European data sovereignty.

Name

Know-Center

Legal name

Know Center Research GmbH

Website

https://know-center.tugraz.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Know Center Research GmbH is an Austrian research center in Graz providing applied Trustworthy AI and Data Science consulting, enterprise solutions such as semantic search (KnowMiner) and EU AI Act certification (KI-Gütesiegel), and government-funded research across industry, healthcare, and public sector clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Research and Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Software Publishers (51321), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Model Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Platforms (HDAAAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII) (HDAEANAG), Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF), Q&A and Knowledge Discovery Platforms (BPAMAAAF)

Keywords

• Trustworthy AI research
• Data science consulting
• AI strategy services
• Quantum-safe cryptography
• Enterprise semantic search

Headquarters

HQ city

Graz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Consulting and Advisory Services: Know Center generates revenue through consulting engagements with industry clients, providing AI strategy development, implementation support, and advisory services. The organization positions itself as an innovation hub that transforms data science and AI research into competitive advantages for businesses.
2. EU and Public Funded Research Projects: As a research center, Know Center receives funding through European Union research programs, Austrian federal ministries (BMIMI, BMWET), regional authorities (Land Steiermark, Stadt Wien), and funding agencies (FFG, SFG). This supports their research activities and collaborative innovation projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Know-Center (Know Center Research GmbH) is a leading European research center that develops and applies Trustworthy AI and Data Science technologies. It delivers AI consulting, applied research projects, and software products (such as KnowMiner Enterprise Search and the KI-Gütesiegel / AI Quality Seal certification) to enterprise, industrial, public-sector, and healthcare clients. Its work spans six strategic research areas (Data Management for AI, Data Privacy for AI, Methods & Algorithms for AI, Human-AI Interaction, Fair AI, Digital Transformation Design) and three government-funded COMET modules.

Product overview

Know-Center is a leading European innovation and research center for Trustworthy AI and Data Science. The company operates a platform-plus-modules architecture comprising multiple solution areas and COMET research modules. The core product portfolio includes KnowMiner Enterprise Search (semantic search for enterprises), complemented by solution areas covering Data Management for AI, Privacy & Quantum Security, Machine Learning & Algorithms, User-AI Interaction, Recommender Systems & Fairness, Digital Transformation Design, Industrial AI, Business AI, AI Strategy, and Data Spaces. The company also operates three COMET research modules: DDIA (Data Driven Immersive Analytics), IACAI (Interfaces of Agent-Centric AI), and DDAI (Data Driven Artificial Intelligence). A key differentiator is the KI-Gütesiegel (AI Quality Seal) for certifying trustworthy AI compliance with the EU AI Act.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KnowMiner Enterprise Search

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings through AI-powered production optimization
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability12 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Big Data Value Association (BDVA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnow Center is part of the BDVA network, participating in I-Spaces initiatives that advance big data value creation across Europe. This strategic partnership connects the center with a broader European ecosystem of companies and researchers focused on data-driven AI innovation.
• BMIMI (Bundesministerium für Inneres)coreOthersFederal Ministry of the Interior of Austria providing institutional funding and support for research activities.
• BMWET (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie)coreOthersFederal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Technology providing institutional funding and support for research activities.
• FFG (Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft)coreOthersAustrian Research Promotion Agency providing funding for research and development projects.
• Land SteiermarkcoreOthersRegional government of Styria providing funding and support as the host region of Know Center headquarters.
• SFG (Steirische Wirtschaftsförderung)coreOthersStyrian Business Promotion Agency supporting regional economic development and innovation.
• Wirtschaftsagentur WienminorOthersVienna Business Agency providing funding and support in the Vienna region.
• Stadt WienminorOthersCity of Vienna providing institutional support and funding.
• Standortagentur TirolminorOthersLocation Agency Tyrol providing regional economic development support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Arthur AI: AI observability and governance platform focused on model performance monitoring, bias detection, and explainability. Comparable because it competes for the same enterprise 'trustworthy AI' GRC budget that Know Center targets with its Fair AI capability and AI Quality Seal.
• Robust Intelligence: AI security and model risk platform addressing model vulnerabilities, adversarial robustness, and policy enforcement. Overlaps with Know Center's AI Security, Privacy & Model Governance positioning and competes for enterprise AI risk budgets.
• Fiddler AI: AI governance and explainability platform offering model monitoring, fairness, and compliance tooling. Comparable as a focused product competitor in the AI GRC category where Know Center sells bias detection, fairness checks, and EU AI Act certification.
• ID Quantique: Swiss vendor of quantum-safe cryptography and quantum networking products. Comparable because Know Center's Data Privacy for AI area includes quantum-safe cryptography as a core capability, addressing the same post-quantum security demand.

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer IAIS: One of Europe's largest applied AI research institutes, part of the Fraunhofer Society. Directly comparable as a publicly funded European research center doing trustworthy AI, data management, and industrial AI consulting, headquartered in Germany with similar scale and structure.
• AppliedAI Initiative: European AI ecosystem builder based in Munich offering AI strategy, training, and ecosystem services to enterprises and public sector. Comparable as a DACH AI ecosystem organization blending consulting, ecosystem partnerships, and training.
• DFKI (German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence): Germany's flagship AI research center, combining large-scale public funding with industry consulting and spin-offs across speech, vision, robotics, and trustworthy AI. Highly comparable as a DACH-region publicly funded AI research center with consulting and productized outputs.
• Sinequa: Enterprise semantic search and insight engine that competes directly with KnowMiner Enterprise Search across multilingual document, expert, and enterprise content retrieval in regulated industries.

Broad incumbents

• TÜV AI Assessment / TÜV AI Lab: German testing, inspection, and certification providers entering AI quality certification around ISO/IEC and EU AI Act requirements. Comparable as a competing AI certification authority to Know Center's KI-Gütesiegel.
• McKinsey QuantumBlack: McKinsey's AI consulting arm serving global enterprises on AI strategy, deployment, and responsible AI. Comparable as a top-tier AI consulting competitor for the same enterprise field-sales engagements Know Center pursues.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Know-Center