About / Founding story
How an initiative became a company.
MindsMachines didn't appear overnight. An AI initiative at the University of St. Gallen grew step by step — through teaching, consulting and an enterprise mandate, scientifically supported by MIT — into a technology company with a clear DNA.
Timeline
From idea to AI operating model.
Eleven milestones from November 2022 to July 2026 — from the first AI initiative at the University of St. Gallen to sharpening the business model as a technology company.
>>> November 2022
The ChatGPT moment
It began with an AI initiative at the University of St. Gallen, aiming to expand spaces for thinking and decision-making through AI-supported perspectives. When ChatGPT reached 100 million people within two months, founder Johannes Heister — with a background in strategy, management consulting and process optimization — formalized his exploratory work into a structured initiative.
University of St. GallenJohannes Heister · FounderChatGPT>>> March 2023
GenAI enters teaching
First integration of generative AI into teaching via business wargaming workshops with students — a hands-on model for applying AI to strategic education.
Business wargamingTeaching at HSG>>> June 2023
60 MBA students, 47 strategy patterns
In the extended format, 60 part-time MBA students work with their own AI models. They quickly grasp the theoretical foundation of 47 strategy patterns and apply them to unfamiliar market scenarios.
60 MBA students47 strategy patterns>>> November 2023
AI-Strategy and AI Exploration Day
The consulting area “AI-Strategy” grows out of the teaching. In structured “AI Exploration Day” workshops, companies systematically identify their first use cases with AI support.
AI-StrategyAI Exploration Day>>> February 2024
Institutionalization
With the launch of the website, the initiative becomes a visible, institutionalized brand with a public presence.
Website launch>>> August 2025
From academic project to startup
MindsMachines evolves from an academic project into a commercial startup led by Johannes Heister — as a service and software company for AI transformation in a business context. Together with Dr. Abel Sanchez (Executive Director, MIT GenAI Global), a hands-on change framework emerges for an easy bottom-up entry into successful AI use.
Service & softwareDr. Abel Sanchez · MIT GenAI GlobalBusiness value>>> December 2025
Hyper-personalized AI training
Development begins on the hyper-personalized training approach — tailored to role, prior knowledge and application context.
RolePrior knowledgeApplication context>>> March 2026
Enterprise mandate and MIT collaboration
Decision to collaborate with C.Ed. Schulte GmbH (CES) to develop an AI operating model for a foreign subsidiary. The collaboration with Dr. Abel Sanchez (MIT) to scientifically ground the AI transformation is finalized.
C.Ed. Schulte GmbH (CES)Dr. Abel Sanchez · MIT>>> May 2026
Founding of MindsMachines AI GmbH
Registration of MindsMachines AI GmbH on 6 May 2026 as an operating company. At the founding event on 20 May 2026, a newly developed method for agent-based Excel processing was presented: from several corresponding Excel files, AI agents create a consolidated data model that is confirmed in a human-in-the-loop and thus becomes a reliable basis for AI use of the data — developed as part of a project for a large German corporation.
6 May 2026 · Registration20 May 2026 · Founding eventHuman-in-the-loop>>> June 2026
AI training and transformation takes shape
The AI enablement area evolves into AI training and transformation — enablement at the workplace as the mechanism, value-oriented implementation of AI as the goal. Release of over 2,500 pages of knowledge on AI training and academy building, deliberately free to access.
2,500+ pages of knowledgefree to access>>> July 2026
Sharpening the business model
Positioning as a technology company: at the core is the AI technology — the AI operating model as a licensable product. AI-Strategy as well as AI training and transformation bring the technology quickly into companies and feed real-world requirements directly back into product development — a deliberately designed service-to-product loop. Psychologist (Dipl.-Psych.) Christian Haaler takes over responsibility for AI training and transformation from 1 September 2026 and anchors AI adoption as a behavioral and cultural topic.
AI operating model · licensableService-to-productChristian Haaler · from 1 Sep 2026
>>> Impressions from the founding event
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