How it started

Out of a real
challenge

Hendrik Schneider is the AI officer of a large research institution. He knows the challenge first-hand: how do you systematise AI governance when no suitable tools exist? How do you bring order to the governance process without blocking everyday work?

Out of that experience, UNAIT was founded in 2026 as an official spin-off from ZALF, the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, not as a theoretical concept but as a practical answer to a concrete problem.

Today our team combines expertise from research, law and software development. We do not build what interests us; we build what organisations actually need.

„We set out to build something that supports organisations with the review obligations of the EU AI Act in just a few clicks.“

Hendrik Schneider, Founder & CEO
AI governance ZALF – Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung
Official spin-off from ZALF
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, born out of the AI governance practice of a research institute
Entry for the Leibniz-Gründerpreis founder award
Submitted with our approach to AI compliance
Brandenburg business plan competition
Nominated for outstanding start-up concept 2026
250+ institutions supported
Building AI literacy and implementing policies
2026
Spin-off from ZALF (Leibniz)
30+
Years of combined technical expertise
4
Founders from research, industry and tech
The founders

Our founders

Four founders from research, industry and tech, united behind practical AI governance.

Hendrik Schneider
Hendrik Schneider
Founder & CEO

Science communicator, AI officer and founder. He has worked in research institutions for many years and knows the reality of AI governance first-hand. He speaks on AI matters for the Leibniz Association and contributes to national AI literacy networks. The idea for UNAIT grew out of having to systematise AI governance without suitable tools: a solution that does not block everyday work but noticeably lightens the load.

Susann Trommler
Susann Trommler
Co-founder & CTO

Almost 18 years of experience as an application developer, much of it focused on Java and business-critical software architecture (J2EE, Spring, database and web technologies). Before that, several years as an IT consultant improving IT processes inside organisations. Solid practical grounding in agile methods such as Scrum and Kanban, and in project management. She brings deep technical know-how for robust, scalable software.

Oliver Peise
Oliver Peise
Co-founder, CFO and strategic adviser

After several years in research he worked as a process developer at a global leader in medical technology before moving into the semiconductor industry. Today, as a process engineer at a global chip manufacturer, he is responsible for complex production processes: a combination of development, scientific depth and industrial process responsibility.

Erik Meusel
Erik Meusel
Co-founder & CIO

More than 20 years of experience in software development and architecture, with an eye for technical concepts that hold up. He now works in technical consulting, taking complex requirements and translating them into robust, scalable solutions, from the code itself through to the architecture. Before that, many years as a software developer and manager. His technical focus is Python, C++ and Rust, with a particular passion for IoT: enthusiasm for new technology and innovation, paired with the ambition to build software that lasts, from the device all the way to the cloud.

How we see it

Ask the right question
rather than preach the best answer

AI governance is not the same for everyone. Every organisation starts from a different point, with different resources and different goals. UNAIT adapts, and helps you ask the right questions rather than implement ready-made answers.

Research and science

Founded as a spin-off from ZALF, a research centre of the Leibniz Association. Evidence-based, not dogmatic.

Grounded in the subject

Anchored in the EU AI Act and data protection law. Developed with specialists, from practice for practice.

Technical depth

Built by people who have lived the problem, not by consultants.

Get to know UNAIT

Arrange an online meeting with no obligation and find out how UNAIT can support your organisation.