Conference 2026
TECH Gym | Sprint Stage
14:00 – 14:45
Panel: From Research to Business: AI & Robotics Startups from Cyber Valley
Robotics & Industry
AI
Startup
Host: Angelina Jukic
Speaker:
TECH Gym | Sprint Stage
14:45 – 15:00
Fireside: From Partnership to Impact: How Startups Drive Real Innovation with Corporates
Startup
Host: Stefanie Weidner
Speaker:
Max-Frederick Gerken is the founder and CEO of Optocycle GmbH, a company based in Tübingen that was founded in 2022 and specializes in AI-based systems for classifying mineral construction waste. Previously, he held a management position at the Schwarz Group from October 2019 to March 2022. He studied at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen and founded his first startup while still a student. Gerken has established himself as an expert in AI and the circular economy and has already made it onto the German-language Forbes 30 Under 30 list.