We are Katulu.
We make it eassy to use AI across factories, companies & countries - without any data sharing and limiting legal constraints.
Our founding story
From service business to AI platformKatulu was founded by Michael in May 2018, with the goal of taking Industry 4.0 from concept board to reality. Right after the start, Michael asked Anne to join him due to her Industry 4.0 experience. Learning from industry 4.0 customer projects allowed us to bootstrap Katulu and stay independent while learning about the real problems within industrial AI. In 2020 our third co-founder, Orlando, joined. After identifying the problem of inaccessible data with industrial AI together, we drove the company as a trio in the direction of becoming a product company. As a result, Orlando naturally became part of the founding team and took over the role of CTO.
How did we learn about the problem of data silos within industrial AI?
We've seen the main barriers to for AI adoption in the fieldData sharing has been a concern from the very first project we implemented. We designed and developed a predictive maintenance solution for rotating equipment. The solution was quickly adopted by small and mid-sized companies with more than 10.000 installations in over 50 countries. Larger companies liked the capabilities of the solution. They refused to adopt it however, because they did not want to share the data from their production processes. We have seen this pattern in every AI project since. Hence, we made it our mission to develop AI that respects data sovereignty, so that AI can reach its full potential.
Our Mission
Enable solutions where others stopWe make it easy to use AI across factories, company boundaries & country borders without sharing data among each other. Even data that cannot be shared for legal reasons can be used with our AI platform. This enables companies to master challenges that seem impossible at first. Adressing major challenges like circular economy, resource efficiency along value chains or quality optimization requires a great team. Its team members are often impacted by data restrictions, such as when working across organizations, company or country borders.
Minds behind Katulu
Our team combines many years of experience in the fields of Industrial IoT, Distributed Systems, Artificial Intelligence and Mechanical Engineering. Together, we have rolled out over 10,000 IIoT devices in over 50 countries with our customers since 2018.
Anne Mareike Schlinkert
anne@katulu.ioAnne has gained her work experience of over 16 years primarily in an IIoT pioneering industry: large-scale wind energy plants. In international roles at global manufacturing companies like Vestas Wind Systems and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, she has earned her spurs within all parts of the value chain, including supplier management, new product development and strategy development. Today, she uses her in-depth knowledge of Industrial IoT from the customers\' perspectives to help take their business to the next level. As a talented speaker, she is happy to share her insights with interested parties.
Michael Schlinkert
michael@katulu.ioMichael has more than 18 years of experience in software and product development and as founder of several successful companies. In 2018 he started his first family business with Katulu. His vision of developing Katulu into one of the leading solution providers in the IIoT market while protecting the data ownership rights of customers is something he pursues persistent and with great passion. He combines his outstanding knowledge of Industrial IoT, cloud and product development with the ability to set up, lead and grow companies. A true entrepreneur with a strong vision and the necessary sense of reality to successfully execute it.
Orlando Hohmeier
orlando@katulu.ioOrlando ships Software projects and products since 2005; he shipped international campaigns, websites, and mobile applications for clients like Mercedes-Benz, JimBeam, or Vodafone and worked on products like DC/OS (Distributed Cloud Operating System). He led and grew teams working on web and distributed front-end, storage, and networking solutions. He deeply cares about people, enjoys great software design, strives for exceptional user experience and excellent operation.
Our values
Achieving more with lessAt Katulu, we live collaboration. Our innovation comes from the diverse expertise of our team. We're where physics, industrial math, recyclate, distributed problems, machine controls, open interfaces, and open source meet DevOps, SaaS, agile sprints, edge management, tool wear and tear, and lots of lines of code. Our common denominators are innovative technologies, eye-to-eye collaboration, pragmatic problem-solving skills, and well-filled coffee cups.
Our goal is to accelerate the transition to a competitive and sustainable industry with AI that requires no compromise.