HERDT
HERDT is a German educational publisher (founded 1989) that delivers IT, Microsoft 365, and AI training content via print/eBook retail (HERDT Shop), a B2B/B2G digital knowledge portal (HERDT Desk), and an institutional license for schools and universities (HERDT Campus) across the DACH region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersBodenheim, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What HERDT does
HERDT-Verlag für Bildungsmedien GmbH is a privately held German educational publishing company founded in 1989 in Bodenheim by Andrea and Ansbert Herdt. Over more than 35 years the company has built a catalog of IT, Office, Microsoft 365, Windows, and AI training materials, with more than 35 million units delivered in print and as eBooks to companies, public administrations, and educational institutions across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). The portfolio is structured around three commercial lines: the HERDT Shop, an e-commerce channel for individual purchase of printed books, eBooks, and digital supplementary media (BuchPlus); HERDT Desk, a B2B/B2G digital knowledge portal sold on annual subscriptions (starting at €2,490/year for 100 users) with tiered packages for Base, Complete (Microsoft 365), and AI; and HERDT Campus, an institutional annual license providing unlimited digital library access to schools and universities.
The technology stack is a web-based learning management and knowledge portal platform hosted on Microsoft Azure infrastructure, fronted by Cloudflare CDN, and designed to operate without local installation. The product surface is modular: Schnelleinstiege (20-30 minute structured learning paths), Lernvideos (3-4 minute videos), Shorts (up to 1:30 minutes), and a Wissensbibliothek of long-form articles. The platform supports deep enterprise customization, including corporate design, internal notes and playlists, and embedding into Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, LMS, and intranets. A GDPR-compliant KI-Coach (AI Coach) provides in-product learning assistance, and the platform is hosted in ISO 27001-certified German data centers. HERDT monetizes primarily through annual subscription licenses to enterprises and public authorities (HERDT Desk), annual institutional licenses to schools and universities (HERDT Campus), and direct-to-consumer e-commerce for training materials (HERDT Shop), with a sales-led GTM supported by Key Account Managers, personalized demos, and free trial periods (14 days for HERDT Desk, 30 days for HERDT Campus). The company is still founder/family-owned, with three managing directors (Andrea Herdt, Ansbert Herdt, Thomas Berschet) and no disclosed external funding.
HERDT firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HERDT
- Legal name
- HERDT-Verlag für Bildungsmedien GmbH
- Website
- https://herdt.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- HERDT is a German educational publisher (founded 1989) that delivers IT, Microsoft 365, and AI training content via print/eBook retail (HERDT Shop), a B2B/B2G digital knowledge portal (HERDT Desk), and an institutional license for schools and universities (HERDT Campus) across the DACH region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HERDT industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Learning Platform
- NAICS
- Computer Training (61142), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Libraries and Archives (51921)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Teaching Resources & Lesson Plan Libraries (EDAGAEAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces (EDAFAIAI), Learning Content Bundling & Subscription Passes (All-Access Libraries) (MPACALAL)
Keywords
Where HERDT is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bodenheim
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
HERDT business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- HERDT Shop - Training Materials: Sales of printed books, eBooks, and digital supplementary materials for IT training. The shop offers individual purchases with voucher codes available. 24-hour express delivery and custom title page options available.
- HERDT Desk Annual Subscription: Annual subscription-based access to the digital knowledge portal for organizations. Pricing based on user count and package tier (Basic, Complete, AI). Includes platform access, content library, customization, and support.
- HERDT Campus Annual License: Annual subscription license for schools and universities providing unlimited access to HERDT learning materials including eBooks, videos, and supplementary content. Licensed at special conditions based on total student count.
- Digital Subscriptions (HERDT Digital): Digital content subscription services providing ongoing access to HERDT's digital library and knowledge resources for the contracted subscription period.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Base Package with Office and Windows |
| Subscription | Annual | Complete Package with Microsoft 365 |
| Subscription | Annual | AI Package for the Workplace |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | HERDT Shop - Individual Purchases |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels12 records
HERDT product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HERDT develops, publishes, and distributes digital learning content and training materials for IT, Microsoft 365, Windows, and AI topics. The core offerings are HERDT Shop, an e-commerce storefront for printed books, eBooks, and HERDT BuchPlus digital extras aimed at individual learners and training providers; HERDT Desk, a cloud-based digital knowledge portal of curated learning content (Schnelleinstiege, Lernwelten, Wissensbibliothek, KI-Pakete, Wiki, Newsstream) sold as an annual subscription to enterprises and public authorities; and HERDT Campus, a digital IT library for schools, universities, and students.
Product overview
HERDT is an educational publishing company offering a portfolio of digital learning products and training materials for IT and digital workplace skills. The core offerings include the HERDT Shop (e-commerce for printed and digital training materials), HERDT Desk (digital knowledge portal for businesses and government), and HERDT Campus (web-based IT library for schools and universities). HERDT Desk is a modular platform with three pricing tiers (Base, Complete with Microsoft 365, and AI package add-on) featuring structured learning formats including Schnelleinstiege (quick-start video paths), Lernwelten (learning worlds), Wissensbibliothek (knowledge library), and Lernvideos/Shorts. The platform includes a GDPR-compliant AI coach, supports customization and embedding into enterprise systems (Teams, SharePoint, LMS), and covers Microsoft 365, Office, Windows, and AI topics. HERDT Campus operates on an 'ALL YOU CAN READ' annual subscription model providing unlimited access to e-books and digital media for educational institutions. Over 35 years of experience with over 35 million training materials delivered.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HERDT Desk: Digital knowledge portal for companies, authorities, and administrations providing practical knowledge on Microsoft Office, Windows, Microsoft 365, and AI.
- HERDT Campus
- HERDT Shop
- HERDT Live
Products and services
- HERDT Shop E-commerce storefront selling printed books, eBooks, and HERDT BuchPlus digital extras covering Microsoft Office, Windows, AI, programming, and other IT topics; targeted at individual learners, self-paced professionals, and small training providers in German-speaking countries.
- HERDT Desk Cloud-based digital knowledge portal providing curated learning content on Microsoft 365, Windows, AI, and other IT topics via Schnelleinstiege, Lernwelten, Wissensbibliothek, KI-Pakete, Wiki, and Newsstream; includes an AI Coach for guided learning and supports up to 50,000+ users; sold as an annual subscription to enterprises and public authorities with white-label customization and Microsoft Teams/SharePoint integration.
- HERDT Campus Digital IT library for schools, universities, and their students; provides on-demand access to curated learning content on Microsoft Office, Windows, AI, and other IT topics; licensed institutionally as an annual subscription supporting up to 50,000+ users per institution.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1 million users actively learning with HERDT Desk in daily work
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use HERDT
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
HERDT technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
AI capability8 records
Feature4 records
HERDT partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- MicrosoftcoreHERDT's products are built around Microsoft technologies including Microsoft 365, Office, Windows, Teams, SharePoint, and Copilot. The platform provides training and knowledge content specifically for Microsoft software ecosystems.
- Microsoft AzurecoreHERDT hosts its web infrastructure on Microsoft Azure cloud services. The company has a data processing agreement (AVV) with Microsoft Azure for GDPR-compliant data handling.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
HERDT competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Skillsoft: Global enterprise learning platform offering IT, leadership, and compliance training via subscription. Comparable to HERDT Desk as a B2B corporate IT/digital skills subscription, but at much larger scale and broader global content coverage.
- Coursera for Business: Enterprise subscription giving access to courses from universities and tech vendors, including Google, Microsoft, and IBM credentials. Overlaps with HERDT Desk on enterprise IT/digital skills, with stronger global brand and credentialing.
- LinkedIn Learning: Mass-market professional learning library integrated into LinkedIn's talent platform, covering Office, Microsoft 365, and business skills. Competes for the same enterprise training budget as HERDT Desk with broader global content and is often bundled with LinkedIn Talent Solutions.
Direct peers
- WEKA Akademie: German professional training provider with IT, compliance, and management courses. Competitor to HERDT in the DACH enterprise training market, with comparable German-language focus and B2B subscription/live training.
- CBT Nuggets: IT training subscription focused on video-based learning for Microsoft, cloud, and cybersecurity certifications. Comparable subscription-based video learning model to HERDT Desk, though with English-only content and IT pro focus.
- Udemy Business: B2B subscription to a large marketplace of professional courses including Microsoft Office, 365, and AI topics. Similar seat-based enterprise model targeting L&D buyers.
- Haufe Akademie: German corporate training provider offering professional and IT training to enterprises. Direct DACH competitor to HERDT Desk in the German-language corporate training market, with broader non-IT compliance and leadership offerings.
- Pluralsight: B2B technology skills subscription platform covering Microsoft, cloud, and developer content. Closest functional analog to HERDT Desk for individual contributor IT upskilling, with similar per-seat enterprise pricing model.
Emerging players
- Datacamp: Subscription-based data, AI, and tech skills learning platform with strong enterprise offering. Comparable in subscription business model and adjacent to HERDT on emerging AI/data upskilling demand, though focused on data topics rather than Microsoft productivity.
Others
- Microsoft Learn: Free, official Microsoft training and documentation platform. Not a paid competitor but the primary free substitute for HERDT's Microsoft 365, Office, and AI training content, and the most direct threat to HERDT's differentiation on Microsoft topics.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
HERDT social profiles
Digital presenceHERDT compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
HERDT financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HERDT leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
HERDT funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HERDT M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HERDT
What does HERDT do?
HERDT develops, publishes, and distributes digital learning content and training materials for IT, Microsoft 365, Windows, and AI topics. The core offerings are HERDT Shop, an e-commerce storefront for printed books, eBooks, and HERDT BuchPlus digital extras aimed at individual learners and training providers; HERDT Desk, a cloud-based digital knowledge portal of curated learning content (Schnelleinstiege, Lernwelten, Wissensbibliothek, KI-Pakete, Wiki, Newsstream) sold as an annual subscription to enterprises and public authorities; and HERDT Campus, a digital IT library for schools, universities, and students.
Is HERDT a public or private company?
HERDT is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was HERDT founded?
HERDT was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is HERDT based?
HERDT is headquartered in Bodenheim, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does HERDT make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. HERDT Shop - Training Materials are the primary driver. The others are HERDT Desk Annual Subscription, HERDT Campus Annual License and digital Subscriptions (HERDT Digital).
Who are HERDT's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Skillsoft, Coursera for Business and LinkedIn Learning. Direct peers are WEKA Akademie, CBT Nuggets, Udemy Business, Haufe Akademie and Pluralsight. Datacamp is listed as an emerging player. Microsoft Learn is listed as an others.
Does HERDT have an API?
No public API is recorded for HERDT.
What industry is HERDT in?
HERDT's product category is Digital Learning Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAEAK, Digital Teaching Resources & Lesson Plan Libraries, with a secondary code of EDAFAIAI, Course Bundle Subscriptions & Learning Membership Marketplaces. Its NAICS code is 61142 and its SIC code is 8200.