SchuBu

What SchuBu does

SchuBu Systems GmbH, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, operates an interactive digital textbook platform for secondary school students in the German-speaking (DACH) market. The company offers a freemium product stack: the core SchuBu platform is free to use without login and contains curriculum-aligned interactive content across biology, chemistry, physics, geography, German, mathematics, and digital education for Austrian Sekundarstufe 1 (grades 5-8). SchuBu+ is the paid subscription add-on, currently priced at €19.80 per student per school year at volume tiers, and adds 2,415 auto-graded online exercises, 477 ready-made presentations, 1,150 worksheets with solution sheets, 79 experiments, vocabulary tools, class quizzes, and the KI-Paket AI module. Pricing is published, with an explicit no-auto-renewal model, and includes a separate freemium Elternbrief template schools can send to parents for at-home paid conversions.

The underlying technology is a browser-based platform running on European servers, compliant with DSGVO and the EU AI Act, integrating a proprietary AI orchestration layer ("Schubuki") that routes requests to Google Gemini, OpenAI, and Mistral models without exposing student identity to the backend providers. Notable proprietary components include the GamBu game-creation engine (enabling students to build playable games without prior coding knowledge), an Internetsimulator sandbox for safe internet-skills training, presentation mode for interactive whiteboards, and the KI-Führerschein AI literacy curriculum embedded in Digital Education Band 3. Distribution mixes self-serve (free platform and parent/individual direct purchase) with a privileged channel for Austrian schools via the OeAD-operated Marktplatz Lernapps, through which Austrian schools obtain SchuBu+ free of charge with OeAD billing SchuBu directly.

SchuBu's go-to-market relies on product-led and community-led growth: a free tier drives top-of-funnel adoption, teacher word-of-mouth drives organic conversion to paid SchuBu+, and the company reports negative churn with 550% year-over-year growth in paid student accounts and over 53% penetration of Austrian schools by 2025. SchuBu has received the Staatspreis Digitalisierung (2024), the Global EdTech Startup Award Germany/Austria (2024), the Comenius-EduMedia-Award, the eLearning Award (2022), and Verified Social Enterprise certification. In April 2026, the company raised a seven-figure financing round from FASE, VerVieVas, Johannes Woithon, Erste Social Finance, and the European Social Innovation and Impact Fund to expand SchuBu+ AI capabilities and execute DACH regional expansion.

Name

SchuBu

Legal name

SchuBu Systems GmbH

Website

https://schubu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SchuBu Systems GmbH operates a freemium, browser-based digital textbook platform for Austrian and DACH secondary schools, with curriculum-aligned content across science and humanities subjects, an AI assistant layer (Schubuki), and auto-graded exercises distributed via subscription (SchuBu+) and the Austrian OeAD Lernapps marketplace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Education Platform

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Digital Curriculum & Interactive Lessons (EDAGAEAA), Assessment-Integrated Curriculum & Practice Workbooks (EDAGAAAH)

Keywords

• Digital textbook platform
• Interactive learning software
• Educational technology
• AI tutoring tools
• Classroom learning platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Osterreicher

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SchuBu+ School Subscriptions: Austrian schools receive SchuBu+ free of charge via the Lernapps marketplace (OeAD). Schools order during defined windows (1 Sep – 25 Oct each year) for the upcoming school year. SchuBu bills OeAD directly. Minimum 15 students required for school pricing at €19.80/student/year (all subjects, all grades). Teacher licenses are free with student licenses.
2. SchuBu+ Direct Online Purchase (Parents/Individuals): Parents or parent associations purchase SchuBu+ directly online for their children at €19.80 per student per school year for orders of 100+ users, with tiered pricing from €30 (5–19 users) down to €19.80 (100+ users). Each purchase covers all subjects and all grades for one school year with no auto-renewal.
3. SchuBu+ School Direct Purchase: Schools (minimum 15 students) can purchase SchuBu+ directly at a discounted rate of €19.80 per student per year, significantly cheaper than printed textbooks. Teacher licenses are free.
4. Freemium — Core SchuBu Platform: The core SchuBu platform is completely free to use — all textbook content, simulations, games, animations, and interactions on every page are accessible without login or payment. This free tier drives broad adoption and top-of-funnel acquisition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SchuBu is a web-based interactive digital textbook platform for secondary school classrooms (grades 5-8) in the DACH region. It provides free curriculum-aligned digital textbooks across subjects (Digitale Grundbildung, Biologie, Chemie, Physik, Geografie, Deutsch), and sells a paid SchuBu+ subscription that adds 2,415 auto-graded online tasks, 477 interactive presentations, 1,150 worksheets with solutions, class games, vocabulary tools, and the Schubuki AI assistant for automated grading, lesson idea generation, and multilingual vocabulary support.

Product overview

SchuBu is an Austrian EdTech company offering an interactive digital textbook platform for secondary school education in the DACH region. The product portfolio consists of the free SchuBu core platform (interactive digital textbooks across multiple subjects), the premium SchuBu+ add-on (offering automated assignments, presentations, worksheets, experiments, and class games), and the KI-Paket AI extension (featuring the Schubuki AI assistant for automated corrections, teaching ideas, and language support). The platform is accessible via web browser on all devices and is also distributed through Austria's Lernapps marketplace.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SchuBu+: The premium subscription package containing all materials for successful digital teaching, including online tasks with automatic correction, presentations, worksheets, experiments, and AI tools.
• Schubuki
• GamBu
• KI-Führerschein

Products and services

• SchuBu Free interactive digital textbook platform providing curriculum-aligned educational content for secondary school students in the DACH region. Contains textbooks for multiple subjects with simulations, games, animations, and interactive exercises. Accessible without login.
• SchuBu+ Premium subscription package extending SchuBu with 2,415 auto-graded online assignments, 477 ready-made presentations, 1,150 worksheets with solution sheets, 79 experiments, class games, vocabulary tools, and personal notes. Priced at €19.80 per student per school year (100+ users). Teacher licenses are free with student licenses.
• KI-Paket (AI Package) AI-powered extension included with SchuBu+, featuring the Schubuki AI assistant, KI-Führerschein (AI driving licence for students), automatic correction of free-text assignments, lesson idea generation, multilingual vocabulary support, and AI-Krimi interactive storytelling. Powered by Google Gemini, OpenAI GPT, and Mistral models.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 53% of Austrian schools (Sekundarstufe 1) use SchuBu as of 2025, up from launch in 2021.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pädagogische Hochschule Wien — K:MID (Kompetenzzentrum MINT und Digitalität)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Competence Center for MINT and Digitality at PH Wien collaborated with SchuBu on an AK Wien-funded project (2021–2023) to create AI-related learning scenarios as OER for the Eduthek of BMBWF. SchuBu content for Digitale Grundbildung — 7th grade was co-developed and made freely available to all SchuBu users. This is a co-development partnership that generated free educational content.
• SIMPLY STRONG (Schulverein)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIMPLY STRONG, a school association founded by Dr. Werner Schwarz (school director at BRG Zehnergasse, Wr. Neustadt), developed three classroom movement programs (Vital4Body, Vital4Heart, Vital4Brain) specifically for SchuBu. These videos are integrated into every SchuBu page via the SchuBu-Turnwurm button, offering 3–6 minute movement breaks that improve learning ability. No additional equipment, space, or changing needed.
• Google (Gemini AI)coreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle's Gemini AI models (Gemini Pro, Gemini Flash, Gemini Flash-Lite) serve as one of the backend AI engines powering SchuBu's Schubuki assistant. SchuBu routes AI queries through its Schubuki layer, ensuring student privacy is maintained — no personal data is sent to Google.
• OpenAI (GPT, DALL·E)coreTechnology or IntegrationOpenAI's GPT family models (GPT, GPT mini, GPT nano, o4-mini, GPT Image) and DALL·E image generation serve as backend AI engines for SchuBu's Schubuki. SchuBu's architecture routes requests through Schubuki so that student identity is never revealed to OpenAI.
• OeAD / Marktplatz LernappscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe OeAD (Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalisation) operates the Lernapps marketplace, which distributes SchuBu+ free of charge to Austrian schools. SchuBu bills OeAD directly. This channel accounts for the majority of SchuBu's volume sales in Austria, with new order windows opening each September.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bettermarks: Adaptive math learning platform for K-10 with strong DACH school adoption. Comparable to SchuBu in selling curriculum-aligned digital math practice to schools, with similar freemium mechanics and a school-channel GTM, though narrower subject scope.
• Antolin: Reading comprehension and literacy platform widely adopted in German primary and secondary schools. Comparable to SchuBu as a curriculum-aligned K-12 digital platform distributed via schools in German-speaking markets, with similar institutional procurement patterns.
• Sofatutor: German video-based tutoring and explanation platform widely used in DACH schools and by parents. Comparable to SchuBu as a paid digital learning supplement for K-12 in German-speaking markets, with overlapping school-channel GTM and similar subject coverage.
• Simpleclub: Berlin-based DACH EdTech offering video-based learning explanations and AI tutoring for K-12 and university students. Most direct digital-native competitor to SchuBu in German-speaking markets, with overlapping subject coverage and a similar freemium-to-premium monetization approach.
• Duden Learnattack: DACH-focused online tutoring and exam-preparation platform for K-12 students, owned by Cornelsen. Comparable to SchuBu as a paid digital learning supplement in German-speaking markets with overlapping school and parent GTM motions.

Broad incumbents

• Cornelsen Verlag: Germany's largest educational publisher, producing print and digital textbooks across K-12 subjects. Directly comparable to SchuBu as a curriculum-aligned content provider for German-speaking schools, but operates at much larger scale and with established print-plus-digital bundles.
• Westermann Verlag: Established German educational publisher (Schroedel, Diesterweg, Schöningh imprints) producing K-12 textbooks and digital materials. Comparable to SchuBu in serving German-speaking K-12 curriculum, with deeper penetration in German Bundesländer but a slower digital-native product approach.
• Klett-Verlag: Major German educational publisher with deep penetration in German Bundesländer schools via textbooks and increasingly digital learning platforms. Comparable to SchuBu in serving German-speaking K-12 curriculum needs, with stronger existing relationships to German ministries.

Emerging players

• Phase 6: Vocabulary learning app widely used in German schools for spelling and language practice. Comparable to SchuBu's vocabulary tool and Wortschatz features, with overlapping school-distribution model in DACH.
• Khan Academy (German): Free global learning platform with a localized German version covering K-12 subjects. Comparable to SchuBu's free core tier in providing curriculum-aligned digital learning at no cost, though without SchuBu's teacher-classroom-management and Austrian curriculum specificity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/schubu.at
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schubuwien

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors5 records

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 SchuBu