Tim von Toerne

Serial Entrepreneur I COO Copernicus Autonomous (acquired by Ford) I Startup Advisor I VC Fund Advisory Board Member I Building Scalable Companies

Bolzano, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

About

Hi there, I am a serial entrepreneur building and supporting scalable companies. Feel free to connect if we can support each other! What I learnt: Starting-up a tech company and then scaling it can be like the red carpet: Full of glamour and limelight, or a bumpy expedition with unplanned glitches and dismay at the discovery that someone else is wearing your outfit! I am the guy who delivers the first. I am a highly versatile, multi-lingual professional with a proven track record in building digital businesses from scratch and scaling them internationally. After an early career in top management consulting I discovered my entrepreneurial passion, founded six companies myself and enabled early-stage companies grow substantially in Europe (among them Skype).

Experience

  • Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Copernicus Autonomous Control Systems
    Mar 2025 - Present · 1 yr 5 mos

    formerly Kopernikus Automotive now Copernicus Autonomous Control Systems (acquired by Ford Motor Company 03/2025). The tasks stay unchanged: advancing automated driving, starting with car factories!

  • Advisory Board Member at Global Resilience Innovation Fund (GRIF)
    Aug 2025 - Present · 1 yr

  • Coach & Mentor at Founder Institute
    Apr 2019 - Present · 7 yrs 4 mos

  • Founder & CEO at Man & Stone Capital
    Oct 2006 - Present · 19 yrs 10 mos

    Through Man & Stone Capital I am (co-) founding, funding and working with digital startup companies in Europe as a founder, entrepreneur or advisor; some historic projects are listed below: - INTERIM CEO at 4LITTLE, Hamburg & Stuttgart (12/2014 - 05/2016) - CEO & Co-FOUNDER at PNEUSMART b.v., Amsterdam (06/2013 - 12/2014) - NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR at PAYMINT AG, Frankfurt (03/2014 - 03/2020) - CO-FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR at eyePROM (01/2000 - 01/2021)

  • Co-Founder and COO at Kopernikus Automotive
    Jun 2016 - Feb 2025 · 8 yrs 9 mos

    Kopernikus Automotive is a leader in automated driving solutions. We are a global leader in developing Automated Valet Parking Type 2 (AVP-2), an infrastructure-based self-driving technology that maneuvers cars in factories, parking lots, and other marshalling scenarios. now called Copernicus Autonomous Control Systems after the acquisition by Ford Motor Company in 03/2025