Maximilian Braun-CTO | AI & Technology Leader
Check rate
Experience
CTO
nikan.ai
Leading the technical vision and product strategy for a sovereign AI startup focused on European data infrastructure and compliance. Managing a cross-functional team of 7 across engineering, AI development, and operations in a fully remote environment.
- Defining the company's product and technology roadmap, including AI-powered solutions with integrated payment services
- Designing scalable platform architectures with emphasis on data sovereignty, security, and European regulatory compliance
- Driving hands-on development across the full stack while establishing engineering best practices and DevOps workflows
- Enabling developer productivity through mentoring, architectural guidance, and tooling decisions
- Shaping the long-term technical strategy to position the company for sustainable growth
Founder / Head of Technology
Innomarks GmbH
Co-founded a company to make AI more accessible for businesses. Built an AI consulting practice alongside a SaaS product that helps logistics companies optimize order processing and reduce costs. Responsible for technology selection, AI feature implementation, and go-to-market strategy.
Lead Data Scientist
HORSCH Maschinen GmbH
Led data science initiatives end-to-end, from data engineering and architecture design to deploying production AI solutions. Combined hands-on technical work with project management and professional as well as disciplinary team leadership.
- Designed and implemented a lakehouse architecture on Azure Data Lake Gen. 2, integrating data from SAP, Google Analytics, and Jira into a unified analytics platform
- Established a modern reporting landscape for international stakeholders using Power BI, eliminating most manual reporting within two years
- Built a domain-specific translation platform powered by custom ML models, serving over 100 language combinations and reducing translation costs by 70%
(Interim) Head of IT
Speedsys GmbH
Led a team of four developers to achieve the company's mid-term product goals. Drove strategic technology selection for front-end and back-end systems and established a continuous customer feedback loop.
Developer / Consultant
Freelancing
Delivered digital solutions for SMBs, ranging from microservice architecture to business process optimization. Maintained broad exposure to emerging technologies and digitalization trends across diverse industries.
Founder / Developer
Maxmin GbR
Co-founded and developed an ERP system for bridal fashion retail during university studies. Successfully sold the product to over twenty customers in Germany and Switzerland.
Industry experience
See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.
Experienced in Professional Services, Fashion, Retail, Manufacturing, Information Technology, and Transportation.
Business area experience
See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.
Experienced in Information Technology, Operations, Product Development, Sales, Business Intelligence, and Project Management.
Summary
Technology leader and entrepreneur with a doctoral degree in Business Informatics and over a decade of experience at the intersection of AI, software engineering, and business strategy. I build and scale high-performing technical teams, architect cloud-native AI platforms, and translate complex technology into measurable business impact. With deep hands-on expertise in machine learning, large language models, and data-driven product development, I define and execute technology roadmaps aligned with strategic business objectives. I thrive in remote-first environments and am committed to fostering cultures of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.
Skills
- Ai Strategy
- Team Leadership
- Llms & Generative Ai
- Cloud Platforms
- Product Development
- Python
- Data Architecture
- Devops
- Stakeholder Management
Languages
Education
University of Regensburg
Dr. rer. pol. · Regensburg, Germany
University of Regensburg
M.Sc. Business Informatics · Business Informatics · Regensburg, Germany
University of Regensburg
B.Sc. Business Informatics · Business Informatics · Regensburg, Germany
Statistics
Experience
Global experience
Expertise
Qualifications
Profile
Frequently asked questions
Have questions? Find more information here.
Maximilian is based in Burglengenfeld, Germany.
Maximilian speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced).
Maximilian has at least 13 years of experience. During this time, Maximilian has worked in at least 6 different roles and for 6 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 1 month. Note that Maximilian may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.
Based on recent experience, Maximilian would be well-suited for roles such as: CTO, Founder / Head of Technology, Lead Data Scientist.
Maximilian's most recent position is CTO at nikan.ai.
In recent years, Maximilian has worked for nikan.ai, Innomarks GmbH, HORSCH Maschinen GmbH, Speedsys GmbH, and Freelancing.
Maximilian is most experienced in industries like Professional Services, Fashion, and Retail. Maximilian also has some experience in Manufacturing, Information Technology, and Transportation.
Maximilian is most experienced in business areas like Information Technology, Operations, and Product Development. Maximilian also has some experience in Sales, Business Intelligence, and Project Management.
Maximilian has recently worked in industries like Professional Services, Manufacturing, and Information Technology.
Maximilian has recently worked in business areas like Information Technology, Operations, and Business Intelligence.
Maximilian holds a Doctorate from University of Regensburg, a Master in Business Informatics from University of Regensburg and a Bachelor in Business Informatics from University of Regensburg.
Maximilian is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.
Daily rate distribution
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Average rates for similar positions
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 25 Aug 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
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