Lukas Kesch

We are one of Germany’s leading online learning platforms, helping students prepare for their exams and teachers create high-quality learning materials. We cover more than 20 subjects (Mathematics, German, English, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry) and provide official graduation exams for nearly every German state alongside comprehensive digital textbooks.

As CTO, I lead the development of our web platform, mobile app, backend systems, and cloud infrastructure. We also built an in-house content editor, CRM and email communication platform, and accounting application. Our core technology stack includes Next.js, React Native with Expo, Spring Boot, MySQL, and AWS.

Most of my personal projects run on an Ubuntu server in a data center in Germany. In a world of managed cloud services, self-hosting is a great way for me to stay grounded in the fundamentals.

I run Nginx as a reverse proxy, Docker for deploying my applications, MySQL as my go-to database, WireGuard as my VPN, and AdGuard Home as my personal DNS server. I also maintain scripts for backups, monitoring, and routine maintenance.

I studied computer science at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where I maintained a German grade average of 1.7 (equivalent to a 3.7 GPA in the US). My academic focus included algorithms, software engineering, and linear algebra.

My studies gave me a strong theoretical foundation, but I was eager to put that knowledge into practice. In the evenings and on weekends, I built my own projects and explored technologies beyond the curriculum.

During university, I also joined SchulLV as a student software engineer. There, I gained my first experience developing a large-scale web application as part of a professional engineering team. As SchulLV grew, I chose to leave university and focus on the company full-time. That decision eventually led to my current role as CTO and Managing Director.

I graduated from the Hans-Grüninger-Gymnasium with a German Abitur grade of 1.1, the highest in my class and equivalent to a 4.0 GPA in the United States. I focused my studies on computer science, mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

My academic achievements were recognized with several awards and scholarships, including the Ferry-Porsche-Preis, Physik-Preis, and Deutschlandstipendium.

I spent my junior year as an exchange student at Jacksboro High School in the United States. I embraced the experience by participating in nearly every sport the school offered, including football, track and field, cross-country running, and powerlifting.

For two consecutive years, I competed in Germany’s most prestigious national computer science competition, the Bundeswettbewerb Informatik. I advanced through every round and was selected as one of 23 finalists from more than 2,000 participants.

This achievement qualified me for the training and selection process for the German national team at the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). The intensive training deepened my understanding of algorithms and data structures while challenging me alongside some of Germany’s strongest young programmers. I ultimately chose to prioritize my studies and withdrew from the selection process—a decision I would reconsider today, as competing at the IOI would have been an incredible experience.

At the beginning of 2024, I started running again. Initially, I wanted to regain my cardio fitness after years of "just" pumping iron, but it soon became much more than that. In September 2024, I ran my first half marathon and have completed several since. Along the way, I greatly improved my pace, endurance, and running form. Running has taught me that being consistently good beats being occasionally great. In September 2025, I completed my first full marathon.

Gradually, I expanded my training to include cycling and swimming. I especially enjoy long bike rides and have become increasingly comfortable swimming longer distances in pools and lakes. After completing multiple 70.3-distance triathlons, I took on IRONMAN Hamburg in 2026 and finished my first full-distance triathlon. What an experience!

During winter, I love to ski. I started as a complete beginner in 2023 and am now comfortable on every kind of slope except black runs. Those still make me spend more time falling than skiing. Learning was humbling: in the beginning, I fell every few meters, but I always got back up.