Berlin, Berlin, Germany
My path to founding AXO wasn't a straight line. Before my career in finance and tech, my "office" looked quite different: I served as a paratrooper, fought forest fires as a wildland firefighter in Oregon, and spent months on a DEG research project in the Amazonas. These experiences, combined with a background in forestry, taught me to view complex systems as living ecosystems that require long-term thinking and resilience. I began my professional career in M&A at Berenberg in Hamburg, before co-founding the technology investment bank Carlsquare (formerly CatCap). After years of navigating the financial side of deep tech, I transitioned into entrepreneurship, focusing on sensor and IoT solutions that drive efficiency in critical infrastructure. About AXO AXO contributes to the stability of rail networks by providing specialized sensor systems for rail switches. As critical nodes of the infrastructure, switches are essential for capacity and safe operations, yet they remain maintenance-intensive and failure-prone. With approximately 20% of infrastructure-related train delays caused by switch failures, AXO focuses on practical solutions for disruption avoidance. By detecting anomalies early, the technology enables infrastructure managers to take preventive action before disruptions affect daily operations. AXO’s mission is to support the long-term reliability and resilience of the railway as a vital public good.