Maximilian Brandenburger

Driving innovation through startup partnerships | Venture Client Leader at Bosch Power Tools | Delivering measurable business impact through open innovation

Germany

About

I lead the Venture Client and Startup Collaboration program at Bosch Power Tools, enabling business units to accelerate innovation through external technology partnerships. My work bridges strategy, product innovation, and operational excellence — identifying, validating, and scaling startup solutions that drive measurable business results. In recent years, this approach has contributed to multi-million-euro value creation through increased adoption of AI-driven solutions, manufacturing efficiency improvements, and digital product innovations. Passionate about translating emerging technology into tangible outcomes, I foster a culture of open innovation and intrapreneurship across global teams.

Experience

  • Senior Manager Business Development & Digital Innovation Strategy at Bosch Power Tools
    Jan 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 7 mos

    • Head of Strategic Startup Innovation & Partnerships (Open Bosch PT) • Founded and scaled Bosch Power Tools’ Venture Client initiative (“Open Bosch PT”) — transforming it from a single proof of concept into an established, company-wide vehicle for innovation. • Built a cross-divisional innovation platform that breaks silos, connects business units, and accelerates access to external technologies and startups. • Achieved an adoption rate single-digit percentage points higher than the Bosch average, reflecting strong alignment between innovation and business value. • Drove year-over-year growth of more than 25%, reaching over 30% adoption of validated startup solutions across product, manufacturing, and digital domains. • Partnered with 60+ startups globally to explore emerging technologies in AI, manufacturing, data, and sustainability. • Delivered measurable business outcomes, enabling multi-million-euro value creation through startup-driven solutions. • Foster a culture of open innovation and intrapreneurship, empowering teams to innovate faster and smarter in collaboration with external partners.

  • Digital Services & Solutions Mercedes-Benz Trucks at Daimler Truck AG
    Jan 2020 - Jan 2022 · 2 yrs 1 mo

    • Led cross-functional project teams for connected vehicle and logistics management solutions, coordinating across Sales, IT, Legal, Marketing, and Finance to deliver digital products on time and within scope. • Served as Product Owner for Fleetboard Apps, managing roadmap and product evolution for small fleet customers through the Fleetboard Manager App. • Introduced new digital tools and processes to improve departmental efficiency, auditability, and data transparency across international teams. • Developed and launched a cross-country reporting system to track key KPIs such as activation and growth rates, driving increased usage and adoption. • Managed feasibility studies and scope definition for multi-year digital projects with budgets up to €5M, ensuring technical and business alignment. • Acted as interface to top management, preparing decision templates and securing strategic alignment for digital service initiatives. • Recognized for exceptional communication, systematic execution, and consistently achieving project goals with high stakeholder satisfaction.

  • Senior Product Owner & -Manager Mercedes PRO connect USA at Mercedes-Benz USA
    Oct 2017 - Jan 2020 · 2 yrs 4 mos

    • Served as product lead for the Mercedes PRO connect platform rollout in the U.S. and Canada, managing product localization, market adaptation, and compliance under U.S. law. • Acted as Master Product Owner for the North American market, defining roadmap priorities and ensuring alignment with global Mercedes-Benz Vans headquarters. • Drove end-to-end customer integration and co-creation with key clients and upfitters, creating tailored connected-vehicle solutions for the market. • Developed and managed strategic customer and dealer support systems, training programs, and large-scale enablement events reaching over 1,000 participants. • Strengthened cross-functional collaboration between sales, legal, IT, and engineering to accelerate feature delivery and product performance. • Achieved measurable improvements in activation rates, user experience, and customer satisfaction through digital enablement and continuous feedback integration.

  • Produktmarketing - Connected Vehicles & Digital Services (Mercedes PRO connect) at Daimler AG
    Jul 2015 - Sep 2017 · 2 yrs 3 mos

  • Marketing, Vertrieb, Customer Relationship Management und Business Development at Enspire UG - sunsteps.org
    Jul 2013 - Dec 2015 · 2 yrs 6 mos

    Ehrenamtliche Tätigkeit. Verantwortlich für Marketing, Vertrieb und Customer Relationship Management