Chris Cardé

About

I’m an Ex-Google, YC-backed founder & CEO with a track record of building products that scale industries and teams that love the ride along the way. Today, I lead HeyCharge, a Munich-based startup backed by Y Combinator, BMW i Ventures, and top climate tech investors. We’re making EV charging affordable, reliable, and available everywhere — even underground and offline — through our patented SecureCharge technology. The result: 40% lower costs, double the scalability, and charging that just works. Before HeyCharge, I spent 7+ years at Google, where I helped bring Android Auto from concept to global adoption, and earlier led groundbreaking work at E.ON and in startups across IoT, smart home, and health tech. Along the way I’ve had fun shipping industry firsts: • 🚗 The first web-connected car with a smartphone interface (UC Davis FutureTruck, 2001) • 🎵 Mercedes-Benz iPod integration (2005 — fine, BMW beat me to #1 😉) • 📱 The first iPhone app connected to a car infotainment system (2008) • 🚘 Android Auto, Google’s flagship automotive platform (2014) I thrive where deep tech meets mass adoption, scaling ideas into products that make life better, cleaner, and smarter. 🌍 I’m a dual EU/US citizen living in Germany — with a Hungarian Vizsla who thinks he’s my co-founder. When I’m not scaling HeyCharge, you’ll find me in my home lab (yes, it has an industrial 3D printer, reflow oven, oscilloscope, and LoRa gateway) tinkering with prototypes and staying hands-on. Always open to connecting on EV infrastructure, climate tech, and building companies that shape the future ⚡

Experience

• Founder and CEO at HeyCharge
  Apr 2020 - Present · 6 yrs 4 mos

  • Founded and scaled HeyCharge (YC S21), the 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲-𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗩 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺, solving one of the industry’s biggest pain points: 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 in underground garages and 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. • 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 $𝟲.𝟵𝗠 𝗶𝗻 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 from Y Combinator, BMW i Ventures, and leading climate tech investors. • 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝟱𝟬𝟬+ 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝟳𝟬+ 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 serving thousands of EV drivers. • Developed and patented 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲, enabling 40% lower cost of deployment, 2x faster scaling, and secure offline user access. • Recognition includes EIC Seal of Excellence, SET100, Hack Osaka Gold, and Y Combinator (S21). • Built a global partner ecosystem with OEMs, utilities, and charge point operators, 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗠 𝗘𝗩𝘀.

• Vice President Technical Solutions at E.ON
  Jul 2018 - Mar 2020 · 1 yr 9 mos

  • Built and scaled a 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 + 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟯 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, delivering a next-gen smart home gateway, device ecosystem, and mobile apps. • Introduced a “𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲-𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲” 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 inside one of Europe’s largest utilities, driving bottom-up product thinking in a legacy environment. • Launched E.ON’s 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 team in Ukraine, growing to 40+ contributors across 3 locations with a scaled SCRUM setup. • Forged 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 with Google, Canonical, Compal, Leedarson, and others to accelerate product delivery. • Transitioned E.ON from a traditional energy provider toward 𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 — a first for the company.

• Technical Program Manager, Android Auto, Google Maps for Automotive at Google
  May 2011 - Jun 2018 · 7 yrs 2 mos

  • 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼, growing the product from concept to 𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗠+ 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 and establishing Google’s flagship automotive platform. • Transitioned 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 from R&D into a $𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗠+ 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, integrating maps and APIs into global automakers’ infotainment systems. • Led the 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, combining product, program, and partner management to reduce congestion, emissions, and inefficiencies in urban transport. • Partnered with top OEMs (Mercedes-Benz, VW, Audi, Honda, GM, etc.) to deliver 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻-𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 at scale. • Bridged engineering, UX, and partnerships — driving mobility products that reached millions of drivers worldwide.

• Founder & CTO at Bed Sense
  Dec 2016 - May 2018 · 1 yr 6 mos

  • Led development of a connected health-tech startup focused on sleep, vitals, and wellness monitoring. • Designed and delivered manufacture-ready hardware + software, including: • Android–based data hub & cloud gateway • MSP430-based USB sensor module • Data analytics pipelines for sleep quality, respiration, heart rate, and weight tracking • Took product from concept through prototype to commercial readiness, positioning BedSense at the intersection of IoT, health tech, and consumer electronics.

• Senior Systems Engineer, Product Manager and Technical Lead at Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America, Inc.
  Mar 2004 - Mar 2011 · 7 yrs 1 mo

  • 𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱’𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽 — smart drive for iPhone — bringing internet radio, online search, and navigation into vehicles years ahead of the industry. • Delivered a low-cost hardware + app integration kit, later 𝗲𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. • Designed 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘀-𝗕𝗲𝗻𝘇’𝘀 𝗶𝗣𝗼𝗱/𝗶𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀, the first from a major OEM to display iPod data directly on in-car screens. • Scaled the Connected Infotainment & Consumer Electronics group from 𝟮 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, overseeing recruitment, hiring, and mentoring. • Spearheaded Daimler’s 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽, ensuring consumer electronics features kept pace with Apple/Google without derailing the rigorous Mercedes vehicle release cycle.