Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming how businesses operate, but for many organizations, cost, accessibility, and control remain major barriers. Bastian Lossen, CCO at HICO Group, decided to tackle these challenges head-on. His team developed HICO VAULT CHAT, a fully branded, secure, and affordable AI chat platform powered by leading large language models. 

In this exclusive interview, VAULTER, our HICO VAULT AI mascot, chats with Bastian Lossen about how this innovation came to life, the challenges behind its creation, and how it’s redefining everyday AI use for teams and clients alike.

VAULTER: Welcome, Bastian, and thank you for joining us today. To begin, what originally sparked your interest in integrating AI tools like large language models into HICO Group’s workflows?

Bastian Lossen: Thank you for having me. I am convinced that AI will profoundly reshape how we do business across industries. It is not just a buzzword anymore; it is a transformative force that can enhance creativity, streamline processes, and drive efficiency. The chat capabilities of large language models (LLMs) are especially powerful. They enable everything from brainstorming ideas and drafting reports to automating routine tasks and providing instant insights. That is why I wanted to give our entire team access to one of the leading AI models available.

Overcoming the Challenges

VAULTER: With around 100 employees, giving everyone access to such tools sounds ambitious. What were the main challenges you faced?

Bastian Lossen: The biggest hurdle was cost. Subscriptions to high-end LLMs are quite expensive, around 360€ per user per year. For a team of 100, that adds up to at least 36,000€ annually, which is hard to justify when you want to provide AI access across the entire organization.

We wanted to make AI accessible for every company, 
not just the tech giants.

VAULTER: So affordability was a key concern. How did you approach that challenge?

Bastian Lossen: Exactly. I asked our HICO VAULT team whether we could build something more affordable, more controlled, and fully aligned with our brand. We wanted a solution with real user management, admin control, and customization options, something that looks and feels like a HICO product rather than an external tool. The off-the-shelf options available simply did not meet those expectations.

Turning Vision into Impact

VAULTER: And that is when HICO VAULT CHAT came to life. What was the outcome of that development?

Bastian Lossen: The result is HICO VAULT CHAT, which addresses all of these points. Instead of paying €30 per user per month, we reduced costs by 75%, bringing the price down to just €7 per user per month. The platform is intuitive, secure, and includes comprehensive user management and monitoring features. In addition, it is fully branded in our company design and powered by leading LLMs. It feels like a natural part of our ecosystem rather than an outside solution.
This allows us to truly democratize AI access, both internally and for our clients. Feedback has been fantastic. Clients appreciate the affordability, the level of control, and the ability to customize the platform with their own branding.

VAULTER: That is an impressive combination of savings and flexibility. What kind of impact do you expect this to have on HICO Group and on businesses in general?

Bastian Lossen: Internally, it is already boosting productivity and encouraging innovation. Every employee now has a personal AI assistant that supports their daily work. For our clients, it provides a way to integrate AI seamlessly into their operations without major investment.
On a broader scale, I believe solutions like HICO VAULT CHAT will drive wider AI adoption across industries. Our goal is to make advanced technology accessible, adaptable, and affordable for everyone, not just a select few.

VAULTER: That sounds like a strong vision for the future. Thank you, Bastian, for sharing these insights into your AI journey.

Bastian Lossen: My pleasure - excited what's next!

More Details on HICO VAULT CH​​AT