What if every student had access to a personal tutor—someone who understands their unique learning needs and supports them in mastering even the toughest subjects? That’s the question at the heart of RocketTutor, a startup founded by Yue Wu, Lionel Rühlemann, and Komaldeep Chahal. The answer they’ve created is an AI-powered platform that helps students learn mathematics through personalized, interactive support. Two of the three founders, Yue and Lionel, are alumni of the TUM School of Management, where much of RocketTutor’s story began.
From a Personal Struggle to a Scalable Solution
The inspiration for RocketTutor comes from co-founder Yue Zhang’s own experience. As a child, he moved from Germany to China without speaking the language. To help him keep up in school, his grandmother—herself a former teacher—retired early to become his full-time tutor. With her support, Yue not only caught up but excelled. This formative experience highlighted just how powerful personalized education can be—and how rare such support is. The idea for RocketTutor grew from the question: what if every student could have access to this kind of one-on-one help, regardless of their background?
Before any code was written, the team focused on validating the need for such a tool. They built early click-dummy prototypes that simulated the experience of interacting with an intelligent tutor, though the backend was powered manually. These mock-ups were tested with students and teachers—and the response was overwhelmingly positive. This clear demand gave the team the confidence to move from concept to product.
Shaped by TUM and Fueled by Purpose
Yue and Lionel both studied at the TUM School of Management, and they credit their time there as instrumental in shaping the startup’s development. Their studies emphasized practical experience, including case studies where students built and tested real prototypes. This hands-on approach made the idea of founding a company feel tangible, not just theoretical.
Beyond the classroom, TUM offered key support systems—such as mentorship, scholarships, and access to an entrepreneurial ecosystem—that helped the team fully commit to RocketTutor after graduation. “If it weren’t for our time at TUM, RocketTutor might not exist,” the founders say. The resources and encouragement they received allowed them to approach their venture not just as a side project, but as a serious opportunity to make a difference.
Now, the platform is also set to be launched at the TUM School of Management, bringing its personalized learning experience directly to the university community where the idea first took shape.
Building a tool that works across different education systems and student needs came with major challenges. One of the most time-consuming tasks was creating individualized, high-quality learning content. Initially, this required enormous manual effort. But with advances in large language models (LLMs) and their own automated workflows, RocketTutor is now able to generate fully personalized learning content instantly. This breakthrough has transformed what used to be a bottleneck into one of their greatest strengths.
Learning with AI, Not from It
RocketTutor’s mission is grounded in a belief that AI should support—not replace—the learning process. The system is designed to act like a truly effective tutor: offering guidance, explaining concepts step-by-step, and encouraging students to reflect and think independently. The platform is interactive and adapts to each student’s pace and level, helping them build real understanding, not just get quick answers.
The team also learned valuable lessons along the way—lessons they now share with other aspiring entrepreneurs. One: test before you build. Don’t fall in love with your product—fall in love with the problem you’re trying to solve. Two: be resilient. The startup journey is full of unexpected turns. And three: always stay close to your users. Listening to their feedback is the best way to build something truly meaningful.
For students at TUM or anywhere else who are considering launching a startup, the RocketTutor team encourages taking full advantage of the university environment. “Use your time as a safe playground to experiment and test ideas,” they suggest. University is not just for learning theory—it’s the perfect time to build, iterate, and grow. And perhaps most importantly, they advise young founders to build a team that shares the same values and vision for impact.
A decisive milestone was the successful appearance on the popular German TV show “Die Höhle der Löwen” (Shark Tank), which brought RocketTutor nationwide visibility and in which Carsten Maschmeyer joined as an investor. Even months later, new users still say they discovered the platform on the show. The team’s key takeaway from the experience? Prepare thoroughly, stay authentic, and communicate your “why” clearly. Investors and audiences alike are drawn to purpose-driven ideas backed by passion.
Maschmeyer, known as a visionary entrepreneur, recognized the potential of an AI-supported tutoring platform and has since supported the RocketTuror team not only financially, but also as an active sparring partner and mentor. Thanks to his involvement, RocketTutor was able to scale the platform further and strengthen its market presence.
Looking ahead, the founders envision a future where every student has access to a truly personal AI tutor—one that feels like you’re in a one-on-one Zoom call with someone who understands your needs and helps you grow. RocketTutor wants to be that tutor: scalable, intuitive, and transformative. With a mission to democratize access to quality education, the team is building not just a product, but a movement toward greater educational equity—powered by technology and driven by human empathy.
