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Press Release

Renowned German Startup Entrepreneurs Join Forces to Expand Berlin’s CODE University

Picture:Sponsors of CODE – top: Thomas Bachem, Stephan Schambach, Rolf Schrömgens, Petra Becker, Daniel Krauss, Florian Heinemann – bottom: Verena Pausder, Gero Decker, Frank Thelen, Robert Gentz, Judith Dada, André Christ

Berlin, January 29, 2024 – Seven years after the founding of CODE University of Applied Sciences, the founders have laid the foundation for further development with the “CODE Trust”: Five outstanding sponsors want to make the Berlin university even more successful in the future together with CODE founder Thomas Bachem and other supporters in the common interest of the German startup and education landscape as well as the general public.

Since it was founded in 2017, CODE has become Germany’s leading private university for tech talent and technology-driven founders with around 600 students. Students have founded more than 60 companies, and five startups have become part of the renowned Y Combinator program. In terms of the ratio of students to companies founded, this makes CODE Germany’s most active startup university.

Now the founders of the university, Thomas Bachem, Manuel Dolderer, and Jonathan Rüth, as well as long-standing supporters Stephan Schambach, Rolf Schrömgens and Florian Heinemann have contributed their shares to a newly created “CODE Trust”. In addition, Flix founder Daniel Krauß and entrepreneur Petra Becker (Dr. Becker Unternehmensgruppe) are also involved as Trustees of the university. They would like to contribute their personal expertise, their network and their resources in order to drive forward the further development and expansion of CODE together with founder Thomas Bachem, Managing Director and University Chancellor Dr. Reimar Müller-Thum and University President Prof. Dr. Peter Ruppel. As the majority shareholder, the jointly managed CODE Trust is intended to guarantee the university’s independence in the long term and create the basis for a possible future foundation.

Thomas Bachem: “For me, CODE was a project for the general public right from the start. It takes an entire ecosystem not just to get a university like this off the ground, but to help it reach its full potential in the long term. For me, establishing the CODE Trust is the logical next step, because we still have a lot to do.”

Stephan Schambach: “It is important that we as entrepreneurs also assume social responsibility. CODE shows how much potential there is in the local tech and startup ecosystem. We can marvel at the success of the US technology giants – but we can also promote the development of the next generation of talent right on our doorstep. We want to continue to contribute to this.”

In addition to the Trustees, numerous other well-known entrepreneurs have also recently committed themselves to CODE, including Judith Dada and Jeannette zu Fürstenberg (La Famiglia), Gero Decker (Signavio), Mathias Rochus (Sundowner Ventures), Andreas Burike (AnyDesk), Marc Müller (ETL), André Christ (LeanIX), Mirko Novakovic (New Forge), Karsten Schneider (Intershop / Mister Spex), Tim Stracke (Chrono24), Jörg Binnenbrücker (Capnamic Ventures), Robert Gentz (Zalando) und Frank Thelen (10xDNA). CODE’s more than 50 sponsors also include Roland Fassauer (aifinyo), Christian Vollmann (Carbon One), Benjamin Otto (Otto Group), Rafael Laguna (SPRIND), Ijad Madisch (ResearchGate) oder Verena Pausder (German Startups Association).

Verena Pausder:, member of the university council: “Many of today’s most successful startups were founded during or immediately after their studies. We have to start with education first and foremost if we want to take Germany further into the digital future. This requires institutions such as CODE, with which we are setting new standards for the German university landscape.”

The university thus unites many of Germany’s most successful tech entrepreneurs behind its award-winning educational concept, which consistently focuses on project-based and interdisciplinary learning. More than half of the students were able to study privately, regardless of their background or financial means, thanks to a socially fair contribution model.


About CODE:
CODE University of Applied Sciences is a private and state-recognized university for digital product development in Berlin that has been rethought from the ground up. With around 600 students currently enrolled in the three English-language degree programs Software Engineering, Interaction Design and Product Management, its award-winning educational concept consistently focuses on project-based and interdisciplinary learning. Since its foundation in 2017, its students have founded more than 60 companies. The university is supported by more than 50 of Germany’s most successful tech entrepreneurs.


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