Founders Force

At Fortunian, he turns high-conviction ideas into real-world wins, smashing bottlenecks and keeping founders in their genius zone. Part operator, part strategist, part creative whisperer. Think Rick Rubin meets Matt Mochary in a Google war room.

He’s the connective tissue across ventures from AI bets to healing centers to storytelling powerhouses. Former Google, breakout startup growth lead, and advisor to founders building what’s next.

His edge is making smart people sharper, faster, and freer. If you’re building something bold, he’s the one who turns vision into reality.

Jochen is the founder and CEO of Werk24, a fast-growing deep tech startup transforming how manufacturing companies handle technical drawings. With a PhD in engineering and deep domain expertise, Jochen leads the charge in automating one of the most overlooked bottlenecks in the industry: extracting meaningful, structured data from 2D drawings at scal
At Werk24, Jochen has built a product that reads and understands engineering drawings like a seasoned technician — extracting metadata, part dimensions, tolerances, materials, and other manufacturing-relevant details using cutting-edge AI. His mission is to empower engineers and manufacturers by removing repetitive tasks, streamlining operations, and accelerating time-to-decision in procurement, production, and supply chains.

Jochen combines academic rigor, entrepreneurial mindset, and deep tech execution. His approach is grounded in solving real problems with scalable AI, and his work is trusted by industrial partners processing over 100,000 technical drawings monthly. Under his leadership, Werk24 has become a strategic enabler for digital transformation in heavy industry, additive manufacturing, and mechanical engineering.

As an advisor or sparring partner, Jochen is especially valuable to next-generation founders building AI-first B2B products in legacy industries. He’s passionate about bridging product vision with industrial practicality — and helping other builders find their inflection points between niche expertise and global impact.

Nils Wollny is the CEO and co-founder of Holoride, a Munich-based deep tech startup building the next generation of in-car experiences by fusing extended reality (XR), motion data, and vehicle intelligence. Spun out of Audi in 2018, Holoride has gained global attention for pioneering the concept of “Elastic Content” — immersive media synchronized with real-time car movement.

A thought leader at the intersection of mobility, tech, and storytelling, Wollny has led Holoride from early vision to global launch, navigating the complexities of OEM partnerships, hardware/software integration, and consumer adoption. His background in digital strategy and innovation — including senior roles at Audi and thjnk — gives him a unique edge in building category-defining products and PR narratives.

Nils actively mentors early-stage founders, particularly those navigating high-stakes pivots, branding challenges, or emotionally demanding entrepreneurial moments. For mobility and deeptech founders, his insights on resilience and positioning can be game-changing.

Ory founded XLMedia PLC (A London listed performance marketing company) in 2003 and ran it to 2019 (including its IPO and private equity sales). He has been investing in a variety of startups since 2008 and was the first angel investor in Mews, a $1bn+ valued hospitality management tech company.

His current company, Team Odeon, focuses on helping American students make optimal education choices. Ory is from Israel and has been living in Prague since 2011.

Tomas Kratky is a former software developer, data engineer, and consultant with over 20 years of experience designing and implementing large-scale data and AI systems for enterprises across various industries.

In 2015, Tomas founded Manta, an innovative data lineage company. His vision was to bring visibility to complex data infrastructure, restore trust in data, enable agile change management, and prevent incidents. As CEO for eight years, he transformed Manta from a small startup into a market-leading enterprise data lineage platform, serving nearly 150 customers—primarily Fortune 500 companies.

In October 2023, Tomas sold Manta to IBM, where he now works in the Data & AI division, providing strategic support to IBM's customers across the EMEA region.

Before Manta, Tomas was one of four owners of Profinit, one of Czechia's largest software houses operating in Central and Western Europe. There, he served as an executive overseeing product, marketing, and research. He also spent over a decade as a visiting lecturer at Prague's most prestigious technical institutions—Charles University and Czech Technical University—teaching software engineering.

Outside of his professional life, Tomas is a big fan of books, sports, computer games, and the ocean.

Louise-Marie Véron is a Co-Founder and Operating Partner at Board Project, a company dedicated to supporting early-stage startups through strategic guidance and operational expertise. Board Project has successfully raised significant funds, helping to propel innovative ideas into successful businesses. With a strong background in entrepreneurship and investment, Véron has played a crucial role in shaping the company's direction and supporting its portfolio companies.

Tomáš Formánek is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor who co-founded Logio, a supply chain optimization platform, and later became a Partner at Cin7, following their strategic merger. Under his leadership, Logio achieved significant growth, securing investments from notable VCs and ultimately reaching a valuation exceeding $50M before joining forces with Cin7. His expertise in supply chain technology and scaling B2B SaaS companies has made him a valuable advisor in the European tech ecosystem. As an active angel investor, Tomáš has invested in over 15 early-stage startups, primarily focusing on B2B software and deep-tech solutions. He is also a limited partner in several European venture capital funds, contributing his operational expertise to help portfolio companies scale internationally.

Jan Přerovský is a seasoned technology executive and investor with extensive experience in software and retail tech. He served as the CEO of Abra Software, a leading provider of business management and ERP systems, and currently holds the position of Chief Strategy Officer at Yieldigo, an AI-powered pricing platform helping retailers optimize their pricing strategies. As an active startup mentor and coach, Jan has made significant contributions to the Czech startup ecosystem through his involvement with Ment2Grow, where he helps early-stage founders develop their business strategies, and DoToho!, a respected acceleration program. His expertise spans across digital transformation, B2B software, and retail technology. As an angel investor, Jan focuses on supporting promising Czech tech startups, leveraging his operational experience to help founders navigate growth challenges and scale their businesses effectively.

Štefan Šurina is the founder of Eldison, a company providing comprehensive solutions for key legal challenges such as B2B contract management and privacy protection. The company has also built a platform that enables digital ESOP management and helps companies communicate about ESOPs with their employees. Štefan has helped some of the most innovative startups in the region (including Exponea and Mews) grow and scale their operations. He has also served as a legal partner in a venture capital fund and as external General Counsel at Exponea.

Alexander Hammer is the co-founder and CEO of Dunia Innovations, a Berlin-based deep tech startup revolutionizing materials discovery through the integration of artificial intelligence and chemical robotics. With a robust background in AI, computational science, and digitalization in research and development, Hammer has held pivotal roles at renowned organizations such as Siemens, BASF, FUCHS PETROLUB Group, and the DKFZ German Cancer Research Center.

His vision is to bridge the gap between AI-generated insights and real-world applications in materials science. He emphasizes the importance of integrating machine learning with physical experimentation to accelerate innovation and address pressing global challenges.

An alumnus of the University of Cambridge, Hammer is dedicated to developing technologies that tackle humanity’s most pressing needs . His work at Dunia exemplifies a commitment to leveraging interdisciplinary expertise to drive sustainable solutions in the energy sector.