Dr. Yannick Brand

Co-CEO HAT.tec

Yannick once aimed to become a helicopter pilot in the German Armed Forces. However, while working with pilots during his studies and PhD in aerospace engineering at the Bundeswehr University Munich, he quickly realized that he could make an even greater impact as a programmer. After all, all the pilots demanded what he was researching: a mission software that makes a difference—and enables true teamwork between humans and machines. To turn his research into a practical product, he founded HAT.tec in 2018, where he has served as Co-CEO ever since. At the international military exercise Timber Express 2021, he uploaded HAT.tec’s first test software to a helicopter over a literally stretched LAN cable while it was already being pushed out of the hangar. The results impressed the Bundeswehr so much that it has been the company’s launch customer ever since. Today, HAT.tec’s mission software makes a difference on both ground and aerial vehicles across various domains, supporting both civilian and military missions.