Safe AI for children — the most important answers

HillcrownAI is the European Kids-AI-Infrastructure-as-a-Service. We run own servers in Germany, an own moderation pipeline and an own CMS, and provide brands, publishers, schools and platforms with the building blocks they need to launch AI experiences for children without compliance or pedagogical risk. At the centre sit the consumer product KinderGPT (for families) and Sesame Studio (GDPR-compliant image and video generation).

KinderGPT is not a companion and not an engagement engine. There is no simulated empathy, no long-term memory, no para-social bond. Instead, parents are structurally informed, content is editorially cleared, and the system is designed for completed learning — not for daily active users. The architecture is the explicit antithesis of Character.AI and Replika.

Yes. HillcrownAI hosts exclusively in Germany, with no third-country transfer by default. We align with the EU AI Act, GDPR, German Youth Protection Law (JuSchG) and the Digital Services Act (DSA), and provide procurement-ready documentation on request (DPA, technical and organisational measures, AI Act mapping, JuSchG risk assessment). With 02 Aug 2026 the GPAI obligations apply — we are designed to meet them from day one.

No. Data from KinderGPT and partner deployments is not used for model training. We use open-source base models, fine-tuned in-house, plus our own moderation models. External training pipelines have no access to children's or parents' data.

Parents get their own dashboard with activity overview, topic settings and escalation flags. Safety-relevant events (e.g. detected crisis topics) trigger structured parent notifications. Parents are informed — not replaced. The detail level is age-appropriate (4–14) and follows our klicksafe-aligned risk matrix.

We currently address eight ecosystems, each with its own language: Sport, Gaming & Toys, Knowledge & Education, Media, Brands & FMCG, Platforms, Entertainment and the Public Sector. Each vertical has its own landing page with use cases, reference stories and an ecosystem-specific CTA — e.g. "Request offer for Sport" or "Procurement briefing Public Sector".

Agencies, systems integrators and publishers are certified in two days: day one architecture and compliance, day two hands-on with the CMS and moderation pipeline. Certified partners get a clearly defined margin model, co-selling support and access to Studios and Labs capacity. Apply by email to partner@hillcrownai.com.

We don't publish list prices. Pricing is built on four blocks: Setup (one-off, depending on implementation complexity), SaaS licence (per ecosystem slot), Usage (volume-based) and Revenue Share on consumer revenue. Concrete terms are agreed in the ecosystem conversation along volume, data requirements and go-to-market model.

We are a consortium partner in the ProFiZ project on protective-by-default AI for children and we work with Rheinische Hochschule Köln and Universität Graz on pedagogy, developmental psychology and ethics review. Our methodology paper on the safety architecture is in preparation — preprint and publication list on request.

HillcrownAI is founded by Oliver Mauckner (CEO) and Tobias Friderich (Co-Founder), with roots in education, digital products, engineering and AI research. The sparring circle and partners come from law (HÄRTING), research & pedagogy (ProFiZ consortium) and industry (senior operators in strategy, growth and finance).

At ecosystem level we are running pilot conversations and partnerships with, among others, pilot schools across Germany, selected pilot municipalities and tourism regions, and selected publishers, broadcasters and FMCG brands. Concrete references are under NDA — we share them in conversation.

For brands, publishers, platforms and public bodies the fastest path is a 30-minute conversation with the founding team. For parents, KinderGPT launches separately as a consumer product. For agencies, the path goes through the Certified Partner Program. For investors and journalists we recommend direct contact via the contact form or press@hillcrownai.com.