What BTI does

BTI Business Training International GmbH is a privately held German consulting and training firm founded in 1997 and headquartered in Stuttgart. The company develops and delivers business simulations (Planspiele) and board games used as the core mechanism in vocational, corporate, and higher-education training programs. BTI's product portfolio spans 23+ specialized simulations across verticals including automotive retail (Car World), banking (BankEmotion), logistics (Logistic World Competition), manufacturing (Elecctrify, Factory), retail and hospitality (Store Manager, Hotel Manager, Food & Beverage Manager), healthcare (Hospital Akut), HR (Know-How Limited), project management (Mission: Deadline, Wasser Marsch!), and change management (Leadership & Performance, Cookie Factory). These simulations are delivered in two formats: traditional hands-on board-based games that use haptic engagement to reinforce learning, and browser-based online simulations led by the 2022-launched Elecctrify platform.

The underlying technology combines physical game components with proprietary simulation methodologies and web-based multiplayer engines that support team-based competition. BTI complements its core catalog with customized simulation development, train-the-trainer certification, and modular seminar programs for trainees, employees, and leadership development. Distribution is hybrid: direct enterprise sales with quote-based pricing for in-house seminars, a certified BTI partner network spanning 25+ cities for localized delivery, and self-directed licensing arrangements ranging from one-time pilot licenses to multi-year subscription agreements. The company reports 500+ customers over its 27-year history, including Siemens, TÜV SÜD (a partnership originating in 1998 that has trained over 1,000 participants), HeidelbergCement, Protection One, and academic deployments at ZHAW Zurich and DHBW institutions.

BTI operates without external venture or private equity capital, is owned and led by co-founders Thomas Walter (Managing Director) and Michael Gebel, and markets through its multilingual website, free live demo events, online seminars, social channels, and a network of strategic partners including IFUA Horvath & Partners and Hernstein. There is no evidence of AI/ML capability, public APIs, or significant proprietary software platforms beyond the browser-based simulation environment.

Name

BTI

Legal name

BTI Business Training International GmbH

Website

https://bti-online.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BTI Business Training International GmbH is a Stuttgart-based German training firm (founded 1997) that develops and delivers business simulations and board games for corporate training, vocational education, and universities across 20+ industries via direct sales, licensing, and a certified partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Training Simulations

akta.pro primary industry

Simulation, Scenario & Serious Games Design (EDAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Serious Games & Simulation Studios (Training, Defense, Enterprise) (MPAFAAAH), Simulation-Based Learning & Virtual Labs (EDAGAEAG), Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Business simulation training
• Gamified corporate learning
• Board-based business games
• Vocational training simulations
• Executive education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. In-House Seminar Delivery: BTI trainers conduct seminars on-site at client locations or online. Pricing appears quote-based based on customization, duration, and number of participants.
2. Simulation Licensing: Companies can license BTI simulations for internal use, with flexible models ranging from one-time use to multi-year licensing agreements.
3. Online Seminars and Webinars: Digital training programs including live webinars and online simulation experiences, offered as standalone modules or part of blended learning solutions.
4. Train-the-Trainer Programs: Training clients' staff to independently deliver BTI simulations, creating recurring revenue through certification and support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BTI develops and delivers business simulations (Planspiele) in both haptic board-based and browser-based online formats for corporate training, higher education, and vocational education. The company offers 23+ industry-specific simulations covering automotive, banking, logistics, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, healthcare, HR, project management, and sales, delivered through in-house seminars, online sessions, blended learning programs, and licensed self-directed use.

Product overview

BTI (Business Training International GmbH) is a provider of business simulations and training programs based in Stuttgart, Germany, founded in 1997. The company offers a portfolio of 23+ distinct simulation products across multiple industry verticals including automotive retail (Car World), banking (BankEmotion), transport logistics (Logistic World Competition), manufacturing (Factory, Elecctrify), retail (Store Manager, Retail Manager), hospitality (Food & Beverage Manager, Hotel Manager), healthcare (Hospital Akut), craft industry (Top Craft), HR management (Know-How Limited), project management (Ready Set Go!, Mission: Deadline), sales management (Safe in Sales, SalesACTivity), event management (TopEvent), and change management (Leadership & Performance, Cookie Factory). These core simulation products are delivered through two primary formats: hands-on board-based simulations and browser-based online simulations. The product portfolio is complemented by supplementary services including customized simulation development, flexible license models, train-the-trainer certification programs, and modular seminar offerings for trainees, employees, and leadership development. Training formats include in-person seminars led by BTI trainers, online seminars with live webinars, and blended learning programs combining microlearning with in-person sessions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Car World A hands-on board simulation for automotive retail management, teaching participants entrepreneurial thinking by managing a car dealership, processing business transactions, and developing measures to boost corporate success.
• BankEmotion A competition-oriented banking simulation where participants take on the role of top management of a bank, competing for market share, customers, and employees while learning fundamentals of bank business administration.
• Logistic World Competition A business simulation focused on transport logistics, enabling participants to experience business administration and management principles specific to the logistics industry.
• Elecctrify A browser-based online business simulation where participants produce and sell e-bikes in teams of 3-4, competing for the best market position while learning the impact of management decisions.
• Easy Business Basic A foundational business administration simulation designed for beginners to learn core business concepts in an interactive, accessible format.
• Factory A manufacturing industry business simulation covering business administration and management principles specific to the producing sector.
• Business Manager A general business management simulation enabling participants to develop strategic and operational business skills.
• Global Strategy A strategic management simulation focused on developing holistic business thinking and corporate leadership capabilities.
• Cookie Factory A change management simulation where participants learn to initiate change and gain support from those affected in an organizational context.
• Leadership & Performance An immersive change management simulation that turns managers into change champions, navigating complex structures and developing holistic business thinking through interactive gameplay.
• Service World Competition A service industry simulation teaching essential management skills, where teams compete to attract customers and demonstrate superior service quality.
• Hospital Akut An immersive hospital management simulation where participants manage patient admissions, diagnosis, treatment, discharge, and billing while competing to develop the most successful hospital strategy.
• Store Manager A retail sector simulation where participants make decisions in realistic scenarios, testing strategies and experiencing effects on purchasing, product display, pricing, and customer service.
• Retail Manager A retail management simulation where trainees take over management of a retail company, experiencing typical business processes and developing success strategies in teams.
• Food & Beverage Manager A hospitality simulation placing participants in the role of managing a hospitality business, experiencing typical business processes and challenges in food and beverage operations.
• Hotel Manager A hotel management simulation where participants experience key operational activities and challenges of the hospitality industry, including room bookings, events, and gastronomy.
• Top Craft A craft industry management simulation where participants assume the role of a craft company, managing essential business processes such as personnel planning and control.
• Know-How Limited An HR management simulation where participants manage a company over multiple fiscal years, confronting HR challenges including demographic change, cultural differences, and talent management.
• Ready Set Go! (Wasser Marsch) A team building and project management simulation developed to convey project management fundamentals and team building measures in an experience-based and practical way.
• Mission: Deadline A project management simulation where participants experience project management challenges including planning, communication, prioritization, and coordination in an engaging spaceship mission format.
• Safe in Sales An interactive sales management simulation teaching essential management skills within a sales organization, focusing on customer acquisition, retention, and revenue growth.
• SalesACTivity An interactive role-play sales training simulation where participants experience customer engagement and success factors for winning proposals in a competitive bidding situation.
• TopEvent An event management simulation for the events industry where participants manage an event agency, handling planning, organization, and billing while making strategic business decisions.
• Customized Business Simulations Tailored business simulations developed according to specific client needs, mapping their processes, products, and strategies for customized training experiences.
• License Models Flexible licensing options for business simulations, including one-time use for evaluation and multi-year programs for ongoing training series.
• Train-the-Trainer Programs Training programs that certify external trainers to deliver BTI simulations independently after comprehensive preparation.
• Seminars for Trainees Specialized training programs designed for apprentices and trainees to develop professional and business competencies.
• Seminars for Employees Professional development programs for employees covering topics such as entrepreneurial thinking, sales training, project management, and business administration.
• Seminars for Leadership Development Leadership training programs including intensive business management, controlling and KPI systems, change management, and soft skills development modules.
• Online Seminars with Live Webinars Digital training programs combining live webinars, online simulations, and interactive workshops for flexible remote learning experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 participants trained with TÜV SÜD Sim simulation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• IFUA Horvath & PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as partner on BTI website with logo display, indicating some form of collaboration or mutual referral relationship in the training/consulting space.
• HernsteinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadership training partner with logo displayed on BTI website, suggesting collaboration in management/leadership development content.
• Biegner TrainingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTraining partner with logo on BTI website, indicating some collaborative relationship in training delivery.
• PPR ConsultminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partner listed on BTI website.
• POMS - People ManagementminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPeople management consulting partner shown on BTI website.
• Planspiel ZentraleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChannel partner for simulation distribution/resale, listed with logo on BTI website.
• Gambera & PartnersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partner with logo displayed on BTI website.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Marketplace Simulations: Marketplace Simulations (formerly part of HBPL, now Insight Health) provides business simulations for healthcare, retail, and general business administration. It competes with BTI in the same verticalized business-simulation category.
• Cesim: Cesim delivers a suite of business simulations (Cesim Sim, SimBrand, SimService) used by business schools and corporations worldwide. It is a direct competitor to BTI in browser-based business simulations for management and strategy training.
• Smartsims: Smartsims produces business simulations such as Markstrat and StratSim used widely in business schools globally. It is a direct peer to BTI in strategy and marketing simulation content for higher education.
• Glo-Bus: Glo-Bus offers an online strategy simulation where teams run a digital camera company in head-to-head competition. It directly competes with BTI's Elecctrify and other industry simulations for university business course adoptions.
• Capsim: Capsim is one of the largest providers of business strategy simulations (Capstone, Foundation, M-Business) used in business schools and corporate training. It competes with BTI directly in the business-simulation category, serving overlapping university and enterprise L&D buyers.
• Stukent: Stukent provides digital marketing and business simulations (e.g., Mimic Pro, Mimic Social) plus courseware used in higher education and corporate training. It competes with BTI for university business curriculum budgets.
• Stratx Simulations: Stratx Simulations develops strategy and management simulations for business schools and executive programs. It is a direct peer to BTI in the serious-games-for-management-education category.

Emerging players

• Forio: Forio provides a web-based simulation platform (Simulate) that enables organizations to build, deploy, and analyze custom interactive simulations. It overlaps with BTI's customized simulation services, particularly Elecctrify, on the technology platform side.
• Simformer: Simformer offers cloud-based business simulation environments for corporate training and academic use. It is an emerging player competing with BTI's browser-based simulations in the enterprise L&D segment.

Broad incumbents

• Harvard Business Publishing Education: Harvard Business Publishing Education distributes a broad catalog of simulations, cases, and courseware for business schools and executive education. It is a broad incumbent competitor with deeper distribution and brand than BTI, but covers a much wider content portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BTI_Planspiele
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@btichannel
• Facebookfacebook.com/BTIPlanspiele
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bti-business-training-international-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 BTI