Munich Startup: What problem does your solution address?
Yannick Brand and Fabian Schmitt, co-founders & co-CEOs: The amount of data produced worldwide doubles every two years. This flood of data also exists in security and defense: a wide variety of flying, driving and swimming platforms collect diverse data with an unprecedented number of sensors.
This presents pilots and operators from the Bundeswehr, police or mountain rescue services with immense challenges: they all often have to make security-critical decisions in a short time and under extreme conditions. But how can data be shared, channeled, and processed in a way that provides the best possible decision support?
That’s exactly where we come in. Hat.tec enables platform-independent mission management. This means: our software suite integrates, sorts, and presents data in real time. By bringing data together, a shared, clear and comprehensible situational picture is created for all involved. This relieves people of complex, parallel processes and enables them to focus on their most important role: making decisions and fulfilling the mission to ensure our collective security.
Software already in use
Munich Startup: What can only you do today?
Yannick Brand and Fabian Schmitt: We are ready to go: our Scale software suite is fully operational and is already being used and further developed in collaboration with industry. Further deliveries to customers are planned for the remainder of the year. Since 2024, we have been certified with the so-called ‘Technology Readiness Level 9’, which confirms successful deployment in the air. We have demonstrated our capabilities multiple times during exercises with emergency services.
Munich Startup: What was the trigger for founding the company?
Yannick Brand and Fabian Schmitt: During our time with the Bundeswehr, we experienced firsthand that it’s never just about controlling a single platform. Instead, the key to achieving the mission objective is always to link all the people and machines involved as effectively and efficiently as possible in an overall system.
During our doctoral research at the Bundeswehr University, we both conducted research on the interaction between human-controlled and autonomous systems. Here too, we repeatedly heard from emergency responders that these exact technologies and capabilities are urgently needed.
We quickly decided: we want to provide emergency responders not just a theoretical research result, but a concrete and operational product. That’s how Hat.tec was born. And rapid growth has shown that we’ve struck a nerve.
Team and structures growing steadily
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far? Was there a moment when you thought about giving up?
Yannick Brand and Fabian Schmitt: After we generated customer interest, we had to translate the idea into a practical product very quickly. To do this, we had to build a larger team in a short time, which of course brought a whole range of new tasks in organization, administration and management. It was exciting and challenging at the same time. Many first-time founders probably have this experience. On the one hand, we need the best minds in a highly competitive market, on the other hand, our team and structures are constantly growing – and we have to guide and accompany this process.
But we never thought about giving up. On the contrary: over the past few years, it has become very clear to the broader public how essential strong capabilities in security and defense are for our society. Our team makes an important contribution to this. We’re proud of that, and it drives us.
Hat.tec was founded in 2018 as a spinoff from the Universität der Bundeswehr München by doctorate-holding aerospace engineers Yannick Brand and Fabian Schmitt. The company develops Scale, a mission management software that consolidates data from different platforms and sensors into a shared situational picture and is already in use with authorities, armed forces and industry partners.
The two founders are connected not only by their scientific careers, but also by their Bundeswehr background and their passion for aviation. Today Hat.tec employs around 70 employees and is advancing the internationalization of its software for security-critical operations.
Munich Startup: How would you recognize in one year that you’re on the right track?
Yannick Brand and Fabian Schmitt: We develop for real-world deployment. Our product is ready for use, and with the beginning of our internationalization and expanded offerings across all domains – from air to land to water – we have been experiencing growing demand since 2025. If this trend continues, we’re doing a lot right. Because when more security personnel, pilots and operators want to use our software, it means: we’re delivering real value for real missions.
“Munich, that’s a perfect fit”
Munich Startup: Would you found again in Munich and why?
Yannick Brand and Fabian Schmitt: Yes, Munich offers exactly the environment we need. Because here we’re not only close to important customers, but also to other partners from business and politics. We also benefit from proximity to several top universities. And our employees simply appreciate the local mix of big-city flair and outdoor opportunities. In short: Munich, that’s a perfect fit.
Munich Startup: Perfection or speed?
Yannick Brand and Fabian Schmitt: We want to be operational quickly and gather feedback early to create real value as quickly as possible. Fast iteration takes priority over perfection. That’s quite normal in our business – software never stands still and is continuously developed. At the same time, it’s clear: security is always the most important asset in our highly sensitive industry. There are no compromises here.
