Our Community

Overview / Our Ecosystem

Student Initiatives

At HPI Engine, everything begins with the confidence to act — to explore ideas, lead projects, and create real impact. Get to know our student-driven initiatives that are a vital part of this journey.

Startups

Discover the success stories behind our startups — and meet the inspiring people who turned bold ideas into real-world impact.

Community & Network

Our HPI Engine Community unites all stakeholders essential to creating unique value for every member of the ecosystem. Together, we drive innovation and shape the future of entrepreneurship. Our Community & Network

Infrastructure

The HPI Engine offers state-of-the-art infrastructure — from modern workspaces and advanced IT tools to the unique HPI Maker Universe, grants, and scholarships — empowering tech innovators to build, test, and grow their ideas in a supportive, professional environment.

Student Initiatives

Our student-driven initiatives foster proactive leadership and cultivates an entrepreneurial mindset

At HPI Engine, everything begins with the confidence to act — to explore ideas, lead projects, and create real impact. Student-driven initiatives are a vital part of this journey, reflecting a mindset shaped by curiosity, responsibility, and the drive to move things forward. They foster proactive leadership and create space for bold ideas to grow.

That’s why HPI Engine actively supports students and alumni who take initiative — providing the guidance, resources, and environment to turn action into lasting impact.

Ignite

Ignite is a student initiative that aims to empower the next generation of digital entrepreneurs. Through events, workshops, and networking opportunities, they help students gain insight into the entrepreneurial ecosystem and how to transform their innovative ideas into successful ventures.

hackHPI

Hack HPI is a two-day hackathon on the future of health, held at HPI in Potsdam. Motivated students come together to innovate, join hands-on workshops, and collaborate with leading sponsors who provide guidance and expertise. They tackle real-world challenges and dive into the world of health.

Women in Tech

Women in Tech is a global media platform on a mission to close the gender gap and to help women enter technology-related careers. We promote women's empowerment around the world, fostering self-confidence, leadership skills, and helping women in their careers.

Startups

Discover the success stories behind our startups — and meet the inspiring people who turned bold ideas into real-world impact.

Do you have a business idea you want to turn into a startup? Find our more about our programs for founders

Our Founder Programs

Startup Spotlight

Lana Labs (now part of Appian)

From Hours to Seconds: Redefining Process Analysis Efficiency

Founded by:

Cula

Setting New Standards in Carbon Removal with Advanced Digital Tracking

Founded by:

HPI Alumnis Marc Rosenau, Oliver Erb, Moritz Spranger and Simon Stadlinger

praxipal

Developing The Healthcare Workforce of Tomorrow

Founded by:

HPI Alumnis Daniel Woelki and Martin Graf

SAP Signavio

From IT Student to SAP Unicorn: Transforming Business Process Management Through User-Friendly Modeling

Founded by:

HPI Alumni Gero Decker, Torben Schreiter, Nicolas Peters and Willi Tscheschner

voize

Revolutionizing Healthcare Through Smart Documentation

Founded by:

HPI Alumni Erik Ziegler, Fabio Schmidberger and Macel Schmidberger

HPI Engine Community

Join our unique HPI Engine Community, dedicated to supporting you on your entrepreneurial journey

At HPI Engine, we foster a vibrant community of tech innovators, entrepreneurs, and mentors dedicated to building impactful startups. Our community includes students, alums, startup founders, mentors, advisors, venture capitalists, business angels, industry partners, academic collaborators, and more.Together, we are committed to creating scalable solutions that drive societal and economic impact, working in close collaboration to shape the future of tech-driven innovation.

Join our HPI Engine Community now

Mentors & Industry Experts

Our mentors, practitioners, and industry experts are creating meaningful and lasting value for the entire ecosystem

Our entrepreneurship ecosystem thrives on the expertise and dedication of exceptional mentors and speakers, who play an integral role in shaping the education and empowerment of aspiring founders and startups. Carefully selected for their expertise across diverse fields and their understanding of the unique challenges faced by emerging entrepreneurs, they provide invaluable guidance and inspiration, fostering innovation and growth.We are always eager to welcome passionate and committed founders, industry leaders, and practitioners to join our network, supporting us in empowering the next generation of tech entrepreneurs and driving transformative change in the industry.Interested to make a difference?

Get in touch!

Venture Capital

Our extensive network of Business Angels and Venture Capital Funds offers invaluable support and opportunities for our founders

Early-stage venture capital is crucial for scaling tech startups. At HPI Engine, we maintain a strong network of business angels and venture capitalists who support our founders' entrepreneurial journey. We frequently invite VCs to participate as speakers, mentors, and panelists in our programs, ensuring that founders gain invaluable insights and access to funding opportunities.For example, HPI Ventures, one of the highly dedicated investors within the HPI Engine ecosystem, specializes in empowering high-potential startups with tailored support. Focused on driving innovation, HPI Ventures invests inexceptional teams poised to build category-leading companies through groundbreaking technology.

Industry Partners

Our industry partner network creates real-world insights and pilot customer opportunities

At HPI Engine, we collaborate closely with industry partners to bring real-world insights and opportunities to our students, founders, startups, and community. These partnerships include early industry and customer valuation interviews, pilot projects, joint events, research projects, and expert speakers. By working with leading companies, we provide students, participants, and entrepreneurs with the network and resources they need to scale their businesses and create impactful, innovative solutions

Ecosystem Partners

Our global network of entrepreneurship and tech ecosystems provides tech leaders and founders with unparalleled opportunities to connect, grow, and succeed on an international scale

Entrepreneurship flourishes through an intense exchange of ideas and collaboration with other ecosystems and institutions. At HPI Engine, we actively engage with global academic and innovation hubs, fostering partnerships across programs, co-founder exchanges, and more.

Our institutional partners include world-renowned institutions such as Unternehmer TUM, Campus Founders, WHU, ESMT, RWTH, University of St. Gallen (HSG), MIT, and many more.

As a proud member of the "ELIAS - European Lighthouse of AI for Sustainability" consortium, we connect with leading European AI researchers and innovators, driving forward initiatives that transform cutting-edge AI research into scalable entrepreneurial ventures. This collaboration enriches our community, providing direct access to pioneering AI advancements and a network of top-tier tech talent across Europe.

Learn more about the ELIAS

Infrastructure

Workspaces

At HPI Engine, we offer fully equipped, modern workspaces designed to support tech innovators, startup founders, and program participants as they turn ideas into successful ventures. Our workspaces foster creativity, collaboration, and growth, providing an inspiring environment for all stages of the entrepreneurial journey.

Key Features

HPI Engine workspaces create a dynamic, collaborative, and modern environment where innovators can thrive, learn, and build impactful startups.

Tools und IT Access

At HPI Engine, we provide a robust suite of tools and IT infrastructure to empower founders on their entrepreneurial journey. ‍Our tool offerings are designed to help startups move faster and smarter, addressing key aspects of building successful companies and securing venture capital.‍

Perks for Founders

At HPI Engine, our IT infrastructure and tools provide the technical backbone needed to accelerate the entrepreneurial process and enhance the success of every venture.

Maker Univers

The HPI Maker Universe is a state-of-the-art maker environment designed to empower tech innovators, entrepreneurs, and students to bring their ideas to life. It serves as a hands-on environment where creativity, prototyping, and experimentation meet cutting-edge technology. ‍The Maker Universe is a vital part of the HPI Engine ecosystem, offering everything from advanced machinery to collaborative workspaces, providing the perfect environment for turning concepts into functional prototypes.

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Whether you're a student, startup founder, or researcher, the HPI Maker Universe equips you with the tools and space to innovate and create groundbreaking solutions.

Features

Workshops Regular sessions on topics from electronics to AI-driven media development.
Prototyping Expertise Build, test, and iterate prototypes quickly using a range of tools.
CollaborationWork alongside fellow innovators, learning from experts in various fields.

Grants & Scholarships

At HPI Engine, financial responsibility is a core part of the entrepreneurial journey, and we actively support students in gaining this experience. Through our various grants and program budget fundings, we provide participants with the opportunity to manage real budgets—just as entrepreneurs would in the startup world.‍

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Each of our entrepreneurship programs includes program-specific budgets that participants can use to fund their projects. This hands-on experience encourages students to make strategic financial decisions, fostering entrepreneurial thinking and action. Whether it's covering prototyping costs or acquiring essential resources, students learn to allocate funds effectively, preparing them for real-world financial challenges.Additionally, we offer travel grants to support students attending external events, workshops, or training programs outside of Potsdam. This ensures that they can take advantage of entrepreneurial opportunities across the globe without worrying about financial barriers.‍

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Our goal is not just to fund projects but to ensure that students develop a sense of financial responsibility, empowering them to think and act like entrepreneurs as they move through our programs.

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