Hacker School

What Hacker School does

Hacker School gGmbH is a Hamburg-headquartered German nonprofit (gemeinnützige GmbH) founded in 2014 that delivers free programming courses to school classes in grades 6 through 11 across multiple German states. Its core product, branded Hacker School @yourschool, runs online via Zoom in small groups of approximately six students per Inspirer and covers MakeCode Arcade (block-based game development for grades 6-7), HTML/CSS web development (grades 7-9), Python (grades 8-11) and an AI literacy excursion module. Course delivery is led by volunteer IT professionals called 'Inspirers' who are drawn from sponsoring companies (adesso, Mercedes-Benz, TK, Rossmann, Accenture, Airbus, Sopra Steria, Hapag-Lloyd, Aurubis, Beiersdorf, PTA, iexecutives) and from university practicum partnerships with HSBA, Universität Marburg, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg and Ruhr-Universität Bochum. The organization also runs Freizeitkurse (weekend leisure courses), CITY Hacker School high-density regional events (e.g., Kaiserslautern reaching 1,000+ youth in one week), and a turnkey Girls'Day package for corporate partners.

Name

Hacker School

Legal name

Hacker School gGmbH

Website

https://hacker-school.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hacker School is a Hamburg-based nonprofit gGmbH that delivers free online programming courses to German school classes (grades 6–11) using volunteer IT professionals from corporate and university partners, funded by corporate donations and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Programming Education

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Text-Based Programming (Python, Java, C/C++) (EDAMACAB)

Keywords

• Youth coding education
• School programming courses
• Volunteer-led tech training
• Nonprofit digital education
• K-12 programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Donations and Sponsorship: Companies support Hacker School financially through donations as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility or ESG commitments. Donations are voluntary and not required for participation in the corporate volunteering program. Companies can use donations for external communication as engaged companies for digital education.
2. Founding Partner Contributions: Funding partnerships with companies (Förderpartner) who provide financial support to enable the free school programming courses. Partners include companies like adesso, Mercedes-Benz, TK, Rossmann, iexecutives, Aurubis, Beiersdorf, PTA, Accenture, Hapag-Lloyd, Sopra Steria, Airbus.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hacker School is a German nonprofit (gGmbH) that delivers free online programming courses to school classes (grades 6-11) using volunteer IT professionals (Inspirers) from corporate and university partners. Courses cover game development (MakeCode Arcade), web development (HTML/CSS), Python, and AI literacy, delivered via Zoom in small groups of approximately 6 students. The offering is funded by corporate donations and foundation sponsorships and is provided at no cost to schools or students.

Product overview

Hacker School is a nonprofit organization (gGmbH) headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, that operates as a platform connecting IT professionals (volunteers called 'Inspirers') with schoolchildren for free programming education. The primary product is Hacker School @yourschool, offering online programming courses for school classes (grades 6-11) in game development (MakeCode Arcade), web development (HTML/CSS), and Python programming, delivered via Zoom in small groups of approximately 6 students per Inspirer. An AI excursion module provides foundational AI literacy. The university partnership module enables IT students to gain teaching experience as volunteer Inspirers. Additional offerings include leisure courses for weekend learning and a dedicated Girls'Day package with event support. All courses are coordinated through a partner portal and require no prior programming knowledge from students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• @yourschool: Online programming courses for school classes conducted remotely via Zoom, where volunteer IT professionals teach programming to students in small groups

Products and services

• Hacker School @yourschool Free online programming courses for school classes (grades 6-11) delivered by volunteer IT professionals (Inspirers) via Zoom. Courses cover game development with MakeCode Arcade, web development with HTML/CSS, Python programming, and an optional AI excursion module. Delivered in small groups of approximately 6 students per Inspirer with Hacker School course leadership present.
• Freizeitkurse (Leisure Courses) Weekend programming courses for children and youth offered through Hacker School's general program portfolio, enabling youth to explore programming topics outside school hours.
• University Partnership Module A practicum module that enables university students to serve as Inspirers for school programming courses. Includes onboarding, course materials, and 4-hour remote teaching assignments in small groups. Can be integrated into university curricula as an elective, project, or extracurricular activity at partner institutions (e.g., HSBA, Universität Marburg, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Ruhr-Universität Bochum).
• Girls'Day Package A comprehensive package for Girls'Day events offered to companies, including a ready-made event concept, Inspirer preparation, participant management, and listing on the Girls'Day Radar platform. Companies may be asked for an optional cost-covering donation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1000 youth reached in one week at CITY Hacker School events
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• adessocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor and supporter of Hacker School programming courses for schools. Provides IT employee volunteers as Inspirer for programming courses.
• Mercedes-BenzcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing IT employee volunteers as Inspirer for programming courses at schools.
• TK (Techniker Krankenkasse)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Hacker School initiatives.
• RossmannsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Hacker School programming education initiatives.
• iexecutivessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Hacker School's digital education mission.
• AurubissupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing support for free programming courses at schools.
• BeiersdorfsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Hacker School's digital education programs.
• PTAsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Hacker School initiatives.
• AccenturecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing IT professional volunteers as Inspirer for programming courses.
• Hapag-LloydsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Hacker School's programming education initiatives.
• Sopra SteriasupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Hacker School's mission.
• AirbussupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor providing support for free programming courses.
• HSBA Hamburg School of Business AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner with multi-faceted cooperation where students serve as Inspirer in a practical module. Described as 'gelebte Twin Transformation' combining digital and sustainable transformation.
• Universität MarburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner where students participate as Inspirer in a practical module, gaining teaching experience while inspiring school students about programming.
• Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-SiegsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner where informatics students serve as Inspirer, learning communication skills as a key competency.
• Ruhr-Universität BochumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner where faculty integrates Hacker School module for soft skills development (communication, presentation, knowledge transfer) and student recruitment.
• Hochschule Kaiserslautern and RPTUsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partners hosting CITY Hacker School event where IT students and staff support programming courses for all 7th grade classes in the city.
• ZoomcoreTechnology or IntegrationVideo conferencing platform used for all online programming courses. Hosting in Germany. Browser-based usage possible without software installation.
• pretixsupportingTechnology or IntegrationTicketing platform used for Inspirer onboarding session registration. GDPR compliant, hosted in German data centers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ReDI School of Digital Integration: Berlin-based non-profit offering free digital and coding education, primarily to newcomers and underrepresented groups, using volunteer tech professionals. Closely comparable to Hacker School in mission (digital inclusion), volunteer-driven delivery, and non-profit funding model, though ReDI targets adults rather than school children.
• Junge Tüftler: German non-profit providing STEM and digital making education for children and youth, often in school settings, with a focus on creative technology projects. Highly comparable to Hacker School in target audience (K–12), delivery format (in-school workshops), and non-profit structure.
• Girls Who Code: US-based non-profit dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology by teaching girls coding skills through after-school programs and summer immersion. Directly comparable to Hacker School's focus on girls and disadvantaged youth in IT, with similar free, cohort-based course delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Code.org: Major US-based non-profit focused on expanding access to computer science in K–12 schools through free curricula and volunteer-led Hour of Code events. Comparable to Hacker School in mission (broadening K–12 access to coding) and volunteer-driven outreach, though at significantly larger scale and global reach.
• Scratch Foundation: MIT-hosted non-profit behind the Scratch block-based programming platform, widely used to teach children coding concepts. Comparable as a foundational tool in K–12 programming education; Hacker School uses a similar block-based environment (MakeCode Arcade) in its younger-grade courses.
• Initiative D21: Germany's largest non-profit partnership for the information society, promoting digital education and inclusion through public-private collaboration. Comparable as a German digital-education umbrella organization that convenes corporate partners, though broader in scope than Hacker School's school programming focus.
• Codecademy: For-profit online platform teaching programming skills (including Python and web development) to individuals and enterprise customers. Comparable to Hacker School in curriculum content (Python, HTML/CSS) but differs fundamentally in business model (paid B2C/B2B vs. free nonprofit).

Others

• SAP Young Thinkers: Corporate-led initiative by SAP providing digital education and coding workshops for school students, often through employee volunteering. Comparable as a corporate-sponsored K–12 digital education program in Germany, though run as a CSR initiative rather than an independent non-profit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hckrschl
• Instagraminstagram.com/hacker_school
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hckr-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Hacker School