HSB Akademie

What HSB Akademie does

HSB Akademie GmbH is a private German distance learning provider headquartered in Leipzig that delivers IHK-certified professional development courses (Fernschulkurse) to working professionals, job seekers, and corporate clients across Germany. Founded in 2015 and operating as a GmbH under sole leadership of Managing Director Holger Erbe, the company maintains a catalog of more than 25 certified programs spanning online marketing, content marketing, social media, HR and personnel consulting, real estate (Immobilienmakler, Immobilienfachwirt, Facility Management), IT security, web design, AR/VR creation, sales, office management, quality management, mental coaching, and — most recently — three AI-themed titles (KI Marketing Manager, KI-Automatisierungsmanager, KI-Compliance-Beauftragte).

The technical stack is built around a proprietary learning management system on hsb-campus.com and a marketing/transactional site at hsb-akademie.de. Live online lectures are delivered synchronously via Zoom, and an AI-assisted learning application on hsb-campus.com supports learner Q&A and interactive exercises on DigitalOcean infrastructure. The company is differentiated by three stacked regulatory credentials — ZFU state accreditation, DEKRA AZAV certification, and IHK-certified course outcomes — that together make its programs eligible for publicly funded Bildungsgutschein enrollment.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time course tuition fees collected via self-serve direct-to-consumer online enrollment; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is provided upon inquiry or after course selection. Payment is accepted via advance wire (Vorkasse) or PayPal, and physical course materials are shipped via DHL/Deutsche Post. The company operates with 11–50 employees, has no disclosed external investors or funding rounds, and supplements its paid programs with a multi-channel owned-media engine — blog, two podcast series (We Talk Business and Lebenslanges Lernen), and active social channels — plus free Schnuppervorlesungen trial lectures as a top-of-funnel acquisition mechanism.

Name

HSB Akademie

Legal name

HSB Akademie GmbH

Website

https://hsb-akademie.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HSB Akademie is a Leipzig-based private distance learning provider offering 25+ IHK-certified professional development courses across marketing, HR, IT, AI, and real estate to German working professionals, job seekers, and corporate clients via its proprietary online campus platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Distance Learning

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Subject-Specific Short Courses & Academies (e.g., STEM, Business, Arts) (EDAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Distance learning courses
• IHK certified training
• Vocational continuing education
• Professional certification programs
• Online Fernschule courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Leipzig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition Fees: Revenue is generated through fees charged for individual distance learning courses and online programs. Students enroll online, pay upfront or via PayPal, and receive access to the digital learning platform. The pricing model is course-specific, with each program having its own fee tier. Payment options include advance payment (Vorkasse) and PayPal. The company also sells course materials and physical learning kits (shipped via DHL/Deutsche Post) for which shipping fees are charged separately.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HSB Akademie sells IHK-certified distance learning courses (Fernschulkurse) delivered online through a proprietary campus learning platform with live Zoom lectures and AI-powered learning tools. Courses span professional disciplines including digital marketing, HR, IT security, real estate, AI, design, sales, and event management, and are eligible for German government education vouchers (Bildungsgutschein). Students enroll directly via the company's own e-commerce shop and receive personal study coaching throughout the program.

Product overview

HSB Akademie is a private educational provider based in Leipzig, Germany, offering IHK-certified distance learning courses (Fernschulkurse) through a modular portfolio. The core offering consists of over 25 professional certification courses spanning digital marketing (Online Marketing Manager, Social Media Manager, Content Marketing Manager), HR/personnel (Recruiter, Personalberater, Personalentwickler), real estate (Immobilienmakler, Facility Management), technology (IT-Security Manager, Webdesigner, AR/VR Creator), and business skills (Sales Manager, Office Manager, Design Manager, Event Manager, Quality Manager, Mental Coach). AI-related courses include KI Marketing Manager, KI-Automatisierungsmanager, and KI-Compliance-Beauftragte. The platform operates via live online lectures (Live-Onlinevorlesungen) with personal study support. An AI-powered learning application on hsb-campus.com provides interactive learning support using generative AI. The company also produces content through two podcast series: 'We Talk Business' (entrepreneurship topics) and 'Lebenslanges Lernen' (lifelong learning topics). All courses are ZFU-approved distance learning programs, and the company holds AZAV and DEKRA certifications enabling education funding support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KI Marketing Manager/-in (IHK) IHK-certified distance learning course on artificial intelligence in marketing, covering AI tools and applications for marketing professionals.
• KI-Automatisierungsmanager/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on AI automation management, teaching how to implement and manage AI-driven automation processes.
• KI-Compliance-Beauftragte/-r Course on AI compliance and regulatory requirements for AI systems implementation.
• Online Marketing Manager/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course covering online marketing strategies, digital channels, and marketing management.
• Online Marketing Consultant (IHK) IHK-certified course for consulting in online marketing with focus on strategy development.
• Content Marketing Manager/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on content marketing strategy and creation.
• Onlineredakteur/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on online editing and digital content management.
• Social Media Manager/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on social media management and strategy.
• Advertising Manager/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on advertising management and paid media campaigns.
• IT-Security Manager/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on IT security management and cybersecurity.
• AR/VR Creator (IHK) IHK-certified course on augmented and virtual reality content creation.
• Sales Manager/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on sales management and distribution.
• Design Manager/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on design management.
• Personalberater/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on personnel consulting and recruitment.
• Personalentwickler/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on human resource development.
• Recruiter/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on recruiting and talent acquisition.
• Social Media Recruiter/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on social media-based recruiting.
• Fachkraft für Personalberatung und -vermittlung (IHK) IHK-certified course on personnel consulting and placement.
• Immobilienmakler/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on real estate brokerage.
• Immobilien Management Consultant (IHK) IHK-certified course on real estate management consulting.
• Facility Management Agent (IHK) IHK-certified course on facility management.
• Geprüfte/-r Immobilienfachwirt/-in (IHK) IHK-certified advanced course preparing for the Immobilienfachwirt professional examination.
• Office Manager/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on office management.
• Webdesigner/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on web design covering HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Bootstrap, WordPress, and UI/UX principles.
• Hybride/-r Veranstaltungsmanager/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on hybrid event management combining in-person and virtual events.
• Qualitätsmanager/-in (IHK) IHK-certified course on quality management.
• Mental Coach (IHK) IHK-certified course on mental coaching techniques.
• Personal Branding Junior Consultant (IHK) IHK-certified course on personal branding and self-marketing.
• Digital Leader (IHK) IHK-certified course on digital leadership and managing teams in digital environments.
• HSB Business Akademie (Corporate Training) Corporate arm of HSB Akademie offering customized or off-the-shelf distance learning programs for company-sponsored employee upskilling and team training, leveraging the IHK-certified course catalog.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IHK Bildungszentrum Dresden gGmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIHK Bildungszentrum Dresden gGmbH is the affiliated IHK chamber training center. HSB Akademie is operationally linked to this entity and references it in its 'About us' section as the institutional backbone of its certification programs.
• DigitalOcean, LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigitalOcean provides the cloud infrastructure underpinning HSB's AI-assisted learning application on the hsb-campus.com platform. DigitalOcean acts as a data processor (Auftragsverarbeiter) under GDPR Art. 28.
• Hetzner Online GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationHetzner hosts the primary HSB Akademie website (hsb-akademie.de) on servers in Germany. An order processing agreement (AVV) is in place per GDPR requirements.
• netcup GmbHcoreTechnology or Integrationnetcup GmbH (Emmy-Noether-Straße 10, D-76131 Karlsruhe) hosts the HSB Akademie Campus portal (hsb-campus.com), the dedicated learning management platform separate from the main website.
• belboon GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHSB Akademie participates in the belboon affiliate partner program for tracking and attributing conversions from affiliate referrals. belboon sets cookies to trace order origins; no personal data is transferred per belboon's policy.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Global online learning platform offering professional certificates, specializations, and degree programs from universities and companies. Competes with HSB in the broader online upskilling market, though Coursera focuses on global English-language content rather than German IHK credentials.
• FernUniversität in Hagen: Germany's only state-run distance-learning university, offering accredited bachelor's and master's programs primarily through Fernstudium. Operates in the same distance-learning category as HSB but at a much broader academic-degree level rather than short professional certifications.
• Udemy: Global online learning marketplace with 200,000+ courses across business, IT, marketing, and design. Competes for working-professional upskilling demand that HSB also targets, though Udemy offers non-accredited content at lower price points versus HSB's IHK-certified offerings.
• LinkedIn Learning: Professional development platform (owned by LinkedIn/Microsoft) offering video courses across business, technology, and creative skills, often bundled with LinkedIn Premium. Competes with HSB for the same working-professional learner base, but without IHK certification or German-language regulatory credentials.

Direct peers

• alfatraining: German AZAV-certified vocational training provider offering Weiterbildung and Umschulung courses in IT, business, and design, often funded via Bildungsgutschein. Direct competitor for the same government-funded reskilling demand that HSB targets.
• SRH Fernhochschule: German distance-learning university (SRH Hochschulen) offering accredited bachelor's, master's, and certificate programs in business, technology, and social sciences. Comparable Fernstudium + IHK/certificate model and target audience of working professionals to HSB.
• Eckert Schulen: Large German private vocational and continuing education group (Dr. Eckert Akademie) offering IHK-certified courses across technical, business, and IT disciplines via distance and blended learning. Direct competitor for AZAV-funded learners and B2B reskilling contracts.
• APOLLON Hochschule: German Fernhochschule (part of Hochschule Fresenius group) offering accredited bachelor's and master's distance learning programs in health, economics, and education. Comparable distance-learning model and continuing-education positioning to HSB, though at a higher credential level.
• SGD (Studiengemeinschaft Darmstadt): Another major German Fernschule under the Klett Group, with an extensive catalog of IHK-certified distance learning courses in business, marketing, IT, healthcare, and coaching. Directly comparable in business model, certification structure, and target learner profile to HSB.
• ILS (Institut für Lernsysteme): Germany's largest private Fernschule, offering hundreds of IHK-certified distance learning courses across marketing, HR, IT, real estate, and languages. HSB competes head-to-head for AZAV-funded Bildungsgutschein learners with the same core subject verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HSB.Akademie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2300411
• Instagraminstagram.com/hsbakademie
• Xx.com/hsb_akademie

Compliance6 records

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 HSB Akademie