Andrei Akhipov studied Computer Science at master’s level at the University of Bayreuth until October 2025. He is originally from Russia, where he studied Computer Science at Moscow Polytechnic Univeresity. After moving to Germany in 2022, he discovered a passion for hiking and joined the Bayreuth Mountain Club, a group of hiking enthusiasts in and around Bayreuth.
“Hiking quickly became more than just a weekend activity for me. I began leading tours myself for students in Bayreuth, and I really enjoy spending time in nature with a wide range of people,” says Andrei. However, he soon encountered a problem: the lack of digitalisation.
“I noticed that hikers repeatedly face the same challenge when planning trips – information about mountain huts is scattered across many different websites. That makes preparation very time-consuming,” explains Andrei. Alongside checking hut availability, hikers also need to plan routes, monitor weather forecasts, and consider transport options. “It’s not uncommon to have countless tabs open, spend hours on research, and still not find a suitable hut,” he reports. One issue in particular stood out to him during trip planning: finding huts that are still available on specific dates.
To address this problem, he began developing smaller tools during his studies at the University of Bayreuth. This led to the desire to expand these tools and make them accessible to a wider audience. With the help of workshops at the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, he created a business plan and hosted his own start-up meet-ups with other aspiring founders.
“The networking opportunities at the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation made me feel that I wasn’t alone with my project. That helped me a lot,” says Andrei.
