We build software that connects internal knowledge and makes it usable in daily work. Local AI is the foundation, so that even sensitive information can be used where it is needed.
It all began at a law firm close to us. AI was meant to make working with files, contracts and internal knowledge easier. At the same time, one thing was clear: confidential client data must not leave the firm's own infrastructure. None of the offerings we looked at met that standard. That is how our question came about: why don't we bring the AI to the data?
In March 2026, Leon Sticksel and Malte Lüß started with a first AI workstation. Together they built a system in which knowledge, AI models and applications run entirely on site. It soon became clear that many other companies and institutions face the same challenge.
In July 2026, the two founded Alae UG in Frankfurt am Main.
In August, Marcel Günther joined as Founding Engineer and Finn Stadtmüller as Founding Growth Lead. Alae has been on the market since September 2026.
Experience from projects, internal decisions and connections that have grown over time make company knowledge valuable. Companies often cannot simply hand exactly this information to external AI services.
Your serverThis is where we come in. With Alae we bring knowledge management and local AI together, so companies can work with their own knowledge and stay in control of it.
More about local AIFrom Frankfurt, with one goal: powerful AI that runs on your own infrastructure, under your control.
Leon StickselCEOLeads company and product strategy and turns operational needs into products that last.
Malte LüßCTOOwns the technical architecture, from local AI infrastructure to secure, connected knowledge systems.
Marcel GüntherFounding EngineerBuilds the products, from local model operation to the interfaces our customers work with.
Finn StadtmüllerFounding Growth LeadBrings Alae to companies that want AI under their own control, and builds our partnerships.We think about how company knowledge is handled from the start. That is why local AI is the foundation of our software.
We say openly what our products do and where their limits are. For us, trust comes from traceable statements and concrete results.
We address questions and criticism directly. Different perspectives help us test decisions and build better solutions together.
Alae AI6 Nov 2026inWe’re happy to share that Alae is now part of the Frankfurt School Entrepreneurship Centre! For us, it’s the perfect fit: Alae was founded right here in Frankfurt.
Alae AI30 Oct 2026inJeder Achte, der im Job KI nutzt, tut es ohne Wissen seines Arbeitgebers. Das zeigt eine Bitkom-Umfrage vom Frühjahr 2026.
Alae AI28 Oct 2026inGestern waren wir zum ersten Mal mit dem kompletten Alae-Team auf der AI Week Frankfurt. Neben vielen interessanten Gesprächen gab es für uns zwei Highlights.
Alae AI26 Oct 2026inFrankfurt wird als KI-Standort unterschätzt. Zumindest, wenn man nur auf die Startup-Szene schaut.
Alae AI16 Oct 2026inAlae started in a server room. More precisely, in the server room of a law firm that wanted to use AI, but for whom sending client files to the cloud was not an option. So we built a way to bring the AI to the data instead.
Alae AI13 Oct 2026inThe context that makes AI valuable is often too sensitive for the cloud. Contracts, client files, project decisions, the experience of key people.
Alae AI6 Oct 2026in21,1 km durch Aschaffenburg. Am Sonntag standen Leon und Finn aus unserem Team beim Sparkasse Aschaffenburg Miltenberg Halbmarathon an der Startlinie.
Alae AI1 Oct 2026inA new milestone for Alae. We’re excited to share that Alae is now part of the NVIDIA Inception Program.
Alae AI25 Sep 2026inWir sind jetzt Teil des KI Bundesverband! Unter anderem werden wir Teil der neuen Arbeitsgruppe Local AI & Strategy sein.
Alae AI21 Sep 2026inLocal AI is not what it was 18 months ago. The question is no longer “Can useful AI run locally?” It can. The question is: “Which workloads should run locally?”
Alae AI16 Sep 2026inMeet Alae. We’re building local AI infrastructure for regulated and data-sensitive SMEs.
Would you like to know who is behind Alae, or whether our approach fits your company? We look forward to a first conversation.