About us

About us
Our Mission

We inspire and empower outstanding tech innovators to become responsible entrepreneurial leaders, driving sustainable value creation for our society, the world, and themselves.

Our Vision

We envision a world where responsible tech entrepreneurs create sustainable solutions that drive economic growth in Europe, generate societal impact, and foster global innovation.

Our Approach

We are designing and scaling a blueprint for a tech-driven, people-centered entrepreneurship ecosystem rooted in academia. By combining all essential elements to foster entrepreneurial mindsets, skillsets, and engagement, we empower individuals to innovate, scale, and sustain impactful products and companies and to globally connect with likeminded entrepreneurial leaders.

What drives us

Team

We live Entrepreneurship

We are a highly motivated, interdisciplinary team with a wide range of professional and life experiences. We are united by our enthusiasm for founding and we do everything for and with our founders so that entrepreneurship plays an even more important role at HPI and in our society.

Anna Schnekker
Program Manager
David Hahn
Head of Program
Dina Mertens
Program Manager
Dr. Frank Pawlitschek
Director HPI Engine
Dr. med. Philipp Stoffers
Program Strategist Digital Health Entrepreneurship
Franz Breu
Program Manager
Gregor von Dulong
Program Manager Venture Creation ELIAS
Julius Diesing
Program Manager
Kathrin Werner
Assistant Operations & Finance
Laura Schulz
Financial Analyst
Michael Mansfeld
Ecosystem Analyst
Rebecca Ließ
Assistant to the Director
Robin Scharf
Program Manager

Anna Schnekker

Program Manager

David Hahn

Head of Program

Dina Mertens

Program Manager

Dr. Frank Pawlitschek

Director HPI Engine

Franz Breu

Program Manager

Gregor von Dulong

Program Manager Venture Creation ELIAS

Julius Diesing

Program Manager

Kathrin Werner

Assistant Operations & Finance

Michael Mansfeld

Ecosystem Analyst

Rebecca Ließ

Assistant to the Director

Robin Scharf

Program Manager

THE HPI Ecosystem

The Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) was founded in 1999 by Hasso Plattner, one of Europe's most successful tech-entrepreneurs. Today, HPI is a leading academic institution dedicated to empowering the next generation of digital engineers, innovators, and entrepreneurs.

Hasso Plattner’s belief in the transformative power of technology and entrepreneurship is reflected in HPI's unique approach to education, which combines cutting-edge digital engineering with hands-on, real-world applications.

Hasso Plattner Institute

The Hasso Plattner Institute offers outstanding academic education and research that currently attract over 700 Bachelor and Master's students as well as 250 PhD students. With a focus on IT systems engineering, computer science, digital health, cyber security, and data engineering, HPI produced more than 2,500 graduates to date. These students benefit from state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge research facilities, and a growing interdisciplinary faculty of more than 50 professors and researchers as well as 200 PhD students.


HPI School of Design Thinking

Since more than 15 years, HPI School of Design Thinking (d-school) is an integral part of HPI, reflecting Hasso Plattner’s pioneering efforts to foster creativity and innovation through the human-centered approach of Design Thinking. The d-school provides students with a platform to collaborate across disciplines, developing creative solutions to complex problems while keeping user needs at the forefront. Design Thinking, which was co-developed with Stanford University, has become a global methodology embraced by innovators and entrepreneurs across industries.


HPI Engine - The HPI Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

HPI is also a major hub for entrepreneurial education and empowerment. It forms the nucleus of many tech-startups founded by students, alumni ,and participants of HPI, HPI Engine, and HPI d-school . More than 300 startups have emerged from the HPI ecosystem, generating over one billion euros in venture capital, a testament to Hasso Plattner’s legacy of empowering digital engineers to become tech entrepreneurs.


Hasso Plattner Foundation

The Hasso Plattner Foundation focuses on education, digital innovation, environmental conservation, and cultural enrichment. It supports initiatives like the Hasso Plattner Institute, research collaborations in digital health, and sustainable conservation projects in Africa. Additionally, it fosters art institutions like the Museum Barberini and DAS MINSK Kunsthaus in Potsdam, advancing education and inspiring generations.

Hasso Plattner Institute,  
Hasso Plattner, and Hasso Plattner Foundation

Career

Shape the future of digital entrepreneurship with us and join our e-crew!

Empowering tech professionals to create scalable products and startups is not only crucial for driving societal impact and ensuring a robust digital economy in Europe but also one of the most rewarding career paths.

We are constantly looking for new crew members with whom we can further expand our offerings and make entrepreneurship even more attractive.

Learn more about the HPI Engine career options and the E-Crew as your future team to work with!

Your career at the Engine