Thomas Bachem: From Three Successful Exits to Building His Own Tech University

About this episode

Thomas Bachem has already achieved three successful exits in his entrepreneurial career – and then founded a university. As founder and chancellor of CODE University in Berlin, he's completely reimagining higher education in tech. In this conversation, he shares insights into his unconventional founder story and the vision behind his private tech university.

Three Exits as Foundation for the Next Vision

With over 10 years of entrepreneurial experience and three sold companies under his belt, Thomas Bachem could have comfortably moved into his next deal. Instead, he took a leap into a completely different sector: education. CODE University is his most ambitious project yet – a private tech university that questions and redefines traditional higher education structures.

The experiences from his previous ventures flow directly into the university project. Someone who has successfully built and sold three companies brings not just capital, but crucially the understanding of how complex organizations function and scale.

Networking as the Foundation of an Entrepreneurial Career

A central success factor in Thomas Bachem's career was strategically building networks from the very beginning of his entrepreneurial journey. Especially in the early phase, when resources are scarce and credibility isn't yet backed by success, often the right contacts determine success or failure.

Networks open doors to investors, potential customers, and – particularly important – to the right co-founders. For aspiring entrepreneurs, this lesson is especially valuable: networking isn't a side activity, but a strategic investment in your own future.

Finding the Right Co-Founder

When selecting co-founders, Thomas Bachem has developed clear criteria that go beyond professional qualifications. The chemistry must be right, the vision must be shared, and the division of work must be clearly defined. Particularly important: complementary skills that supplement rather than overlap each other.

The co-founder constellation largely determines a startup's success. While professional expertise can be trained, interpersonal dynamics and shared values are harder to develop. Thomas Bachem's experience shows: better to search longer than start with the wrong partners.

CODE University: Reimagining the University

With CODE University, Thomas Bachem pursues a clear vision: radically modernizing higher education in tech. Instead of outdated curricula and theory-heavy lectures, the private university focuses on practical education that directly prepares students for the demands of the tech industry.

CODE University functions as a laboratory for new educational concepts. Here, students aren't just educated – research is simultaneously conducted on how learning works in the digital world. The goal: producing graduates who bring not only technical know-how, but also entrepreneurial thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Lessons Learned for Aspiring Founders

Thomas Bachem's career path offers valuable lessons for the next generation of entrepreneurs. Building a strong network, carefully selecting co-founders, and the willingness to expand into unconventional areas are success factors that apply across industries.

Particularly noteworthy: having the courage to enter a completely new field after three successful exits. The education sector is sluggish, regulated, and difficult to disrupt – precisely what makes it interesting for experienced founders looking for the next big challenge.