Dr. Matthias Brendel is fascinated by the possibilities of new technologies in connection with sustainability.

He completed his studies in environmental engineering at the University of Bayreuth and obtained his doctorate with a dissertation on the CO2 reduction of petrol engines at the Technical University of Munich.

At the beginning of his professional career, Matthias Brendel made a name for himself in the automotive industry by specialising in increasing the efficiency of combustion engines. He later shifted his focus to sustainable approaches for new business models. This led to the founding of his start-up, Footprint Technologies, which is characterised by the development of software that improves the accuracy of foot measurement and thus significantly reduces return rates in online shoe retail.

As a sought-after keynote speaker and panellist, Matthias Brendel shares his knowledge of ground-breaking innovations, the future of mobility, ecological sustainability and autonomous driving.

Matthias Brendel Lecture topics

• Startup Learnings
• Leading with Autonomy
• Future Mobility!
• Mobility a basic human need
• Innovating in Corporates and Startups
• Impact Entrepreneurship
• Innovation Acceleration in Open Ecosystems
• Critical for the Future
• Innovation Acceleration in Open Ecosystems

From car to shoe – more about Matthias Brendel:

As a PhD student in engine development at Audi, he initially embarked on solo experiments with a 130-year-old approach on variable compression to significantly enhance the fuel efficiency of combustion engines. Over eight years, with the aid of AI-based optimization, this endeavor evolved into one of Volkswagen Group’s most substantial powertrain projects en route to series production. Matthias Brendel grew within the company and ultimately ascended to the role of design and project manager for a new large-scale engine family. He acquired extensive knowledge about innovation in the automotive group’s core business and amassed considerable experience within a complex corporate structure.

During this period, he also advanced into Audi`s management. Subsequently, he was given the opportunity to co-found, establish, and lead the Audi Denkwerkstatt innovation unit at the behest of the Board of Management. This unit was awarded as the top innovation entity in German industry on multiple occasions, offering him the chance to deeply engage with new business model implementation while also contributing to the company’s cultural transformation. At Audi Denkwerkstatt, he further honed his leadership style, emphasizing autonomy and working with self-organized intrapreneur teams for over 4.5 years.

After spending a total of 13 years in a large corporation, he decided to transition to being a full-time entrepreneur. Having founded his first company at the age of 17 and remaining active as a sidepreneur ever since, Matthias Brendel was well-prepared for this leap. Moving from senior management in a large corporation to leading his own company with just a handful of employees was a significant step, but precisely the right move for them. Since 2020, he has been the CEO of his own AI company, Footprint Technologies GmbH. The company specializes in measuring feet and recommending the best possible shoe size to reduce returns in online shoe retail. Today, they are the market leader in their field, providing services to top shoe brands and large federal authorities in Germany and abroad.

In 2019, Matthias Brendel was honored with the “Young Elite – Top 40 under 40” award by Capital magazine’s editors. In 2022, he was further appointed to the Senate of Economy Europe.