kalebru®
Umbrella over all entrepreneurial activities: investments, advisory, training and new products around AI and digital value creation.
Klaus Kallenbrunnen — AI keynote speaker, AI trainer and investor from Karlsruhe
Artificial
intelligence
is an instrument.
Klaus Kallenbrunnen helps companies treat AI not as a trend but as an operational efficiency lever. Tech entrepreneur, speaker, trainer, advisor and partner in multiple ventures at the intersection of AI, business model, product and market. He builds AI prototypes and internal AI tools — from concept to a running system.
Keynote at Tricor plant opening · Germany
Vita
Three disciplines, one through-line.
Entrepreneur, investor and university lecturer based in Karlsruhe, Germany. Over two decades shaping digital products and markets — with stints in Silicon Valley and Shanghai, from the first e-commerce wave to agentic AI architectures.
Today a partner in two established consulting and technology firms, founder and co-founder of several AI ventures at the intersection of strategy, product and market. Author of an upcoming book on AI-driven product development (late 2026).
Elected member of the Karlsruhe Chamber of Commerce assembly and its technology committee, lecturer at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, trainer at Akademie der Deutschen Medien Munich and the IHK Academy.
"Learn what works — build what lasts — teach what scales."
Speaker programme
Bookable formats & terms.
Current seminar and talk programme. Keynotes from 25 minutes, workshops up to full day. In German and English. For boards, leadership teams, product and tech communities. Prices on request.
Publication
"Ten steps to a successfully implemented AI strategy. Prompt is king."
INSIDE Wohnen — INSIDE Spezial Neue Ideen No. 5 · 03/2024
Companies, products, holdings & partnerships
Strengths emerge when synergies unfold.
12 ventures
Publication · Springer Gabler · 2026
Artificial Intelligence in Product Development
A guide to application-oriented implementation
The book about what comes after the pilots: AI as an integral part of modern product development — from discovery through architecture to operations. Hands-on, with case studies from the German Mittelstand.
Press feature · INSIDE Wohn-Markt-Magazin · No. 1228 · 12 June 2026
Briefing in the morning, concept by afternoon
At the 8th INSIDE industry summit, Professor Hendrik Rust and Klaus Kallenbrunnen showed live what agentic AI really delivers in early product development: from the morning briefing to a market-ready concept by the afternoon. The German-language feature sums up method and results.
Impressions
Stage moments, workshops, encounters.
BVMW Entrepreneurs Evening RP, Kandel
Spoga Horse, Cologne
Inside Industry Summit I, Munich
Student event, European School Karlsruhe
Aptean Live, Mainz
AI Workshop IWW, Karlsruhe
Inside Industry Summit II, Munich
BVMW Entrepreneurs Evening BW, Leimen
Speaking topics
Topics Klaus speaks about.
Complex made simple — on a level with both boardroom and experts. Always with hands-on transfer, a focus on returns and concrete takeaways. Every topic can be tailored as a keynote, impulse, training or workshop.
21 topics
01
Applied AI in everyday business
Where AI creates real value today — from the first use case to measurable efficiency gains, without the hype.
02
Change management & future relevance
How teams carry the change: shaping shifting roles and job profiles and giving people genuine future relevance.
03
AI strategy in ten field-tested steps
From status quo, goals and responsibilities to rollout — a roadmap that holds up in practice.
04
From pilot to production
Why most AI projects get stuck at the prototype — and how to bring them reliably into operation.
05
Agentic workflows
How autonomous AI agents take over tasks across departments — sales, marketing, e-commerce, administration — and where humans stay in control.
06
Automation with AI
Spot recurring workflows, automate them and free up capacity for what matters.
07
Local AI & data autonomy
Run AI in-house — GDPR-compliant, with no data leaving to third parties and full control over models and information.
08
AI architectures that hold
How to build infrastructure, data flows and models that scale instead of crumbling.
09
Returns, not gimmicks: the AI business case
How AI investments pay off — efficiency, cost and value contribution made clear.
10
Generative AI: overview & possibilities
What text, image, audio and video AI can do today — and which tools are worth it for what.
11
Prompting that works
From lucky hits to a reliable method: techniques for consistent, usable results.
12
EU AI Act: obligations & pragmatism
What the AI regulation requires — and how to implement it without a bureaucracy shock.
13
Data management as the AI foundation
Why good AI starts with data — quality, structure and governance as the basis.
14
Digital product development with AI
From idea to prototype: discovery, design and generative tools working together.
15
New business models & revenue with AI
How AI becomes a spin-off or a new business model — and how to open up additional revenue streams.
16
Vibe coding: ideas become software
How a described idea turns into working prototypes in no time — building software without classic coding.
17
Modern media production with AI
From restoration to automated pipelines — produce media more efficiently and creatively.
18
Knowledge management with AI
How organisations consolidate their knowledge, make it findable and use it sustainably — instead of losing it with every departure.
19
Skills & future readiness
Which skills teams will need by 2030 — and how to build them deliberately.
20
Built live: AI you can touch
Custom AI applications built right for your event — the surprise moment with real takeaway value.
21
Individually prepared content
Talks, materials and demos tailored precisely to your industry, audience and occasion — nothing off the shelf.
References
Institutions, clients and references.
Corporates, Mittelstand, universities and associations — a selection from the portfolio of recent years.
120+ brands
Trainings & teaching
Passing knowledge on, in the right rooms.
Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences
Agentic AI & digital product development
Academy of German Media, Munich
Certificate courses, keynotes & short formats
IHK Academy
AI for the Mittelstand
AI Alliance Baden-Württemberg
Applied AI for the Mittelstand
Offices & mandates
Responsibility beyond the own balance sheet.
- Member of Lions Club Karlsruhe Schloss
- Elected member of the IHK Karlsruhe assembly
- Member of the IHK Karlsruhe technology committee
- Member of the working group "Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation"
- Advisor to executive and supervisory boards
Voices
The meeting with you in Karlsruhe was impressive: rarely has anything convinced me as much as the way you approached the topic with us. I am very glad our paths crossed, and I look forward to our continued collaboration.
Press images & downloads
Material for press and organisers.
Speaker sheet (PDF)
02 files
Protected areas
Unlock further content.
Some areas of this page are password-protected. Enter your password to see the full content.
What adds up.
Key figures
1,000+
Specialists and leaders who experience Klaus's workshops and programmes each year — and return to their workday with a concrete plan.
Rating 1.2
Average rating his seminars receive from participants over the past three years.
60+
Appearances per year — stages, events and trainings across Mittelstand, corporates and universities.
Stay in touch
Follow me on LinkedIn.
Notes between stages — short takes on AI strategy, product and the German Mittelstand. Several times a week, no noise.
Contact
It rarely starts with a slide. Usually with a question.
Direct email is the fastest way. Usually answered within two business days.
hallo@kalebru.comFrequently asked
Common questions — from booking to advisory.
09 questions
Who is Klaus Kallenbrunnen?
Entrepreneur, investor and university lecturer from Karlsruhe. Over two decades at the intersection of digital product development and market expansion — with stints in Silicon Valley and Shanghai, often in globally responsible roles for mid-sized companies. Today a partner in two established consulting and technology firms, founder of several AI ventures and author of an upcoming book on AI-driven product development (late 2026).
Who is the right audience for Klaus Kallenbrunnen?
For boards, executive teams, leadership groups and product/tech communities that want to treat AI not as a trend but as an operational lever. Focus: the German Mittelstand and corporates in the DACH region. Klaus works both strategically (boards, supervisory bodies) and hands-on (product teams, operator training).
Which topics does Klaus Kallenbrunnen cover?
Core topics: applied AI for the Mittelstand, implementation strategies, agentic workflows, AI architectures and infrastructure, generative AI tools, the EU AI Act, digital product development with AI, and future readiness as an attitude. Currently more than 20 talk and workshop formats from 3 hours to 4 days.
Which formats are available — keynote, workshop, advisory?
Keynotes from 30 minutes, half-day and full-day workshops, multi-day intensive courses (e.g. the four-day "AI Manager" course), board-level sparring, and advisory board mandates for companies that want to anchor AI strategically. Stage appearances in German and English.
How does Klaus choose his advisory board mandates?
Advisory board mandates are taken on selectively and deliberately. The preconditions are a clear mandate and mutual trust. Focus areas: AI strategy and architecture, digital product development, tech due diligence, future readiness and resilience, as well as efficiency and return optimisation. The best fit is mid-sized companies, growth companies and corporates that want to anchor AI strategically and look for a sparring partner with operational experience. Enquiries are welcome directly by email.
What does a keynote or workshop cost?
Fees are quoted individually — based on scope, audience and effort (preparation depth, duration, travel). Klaus deliberately does not work from a fixed-price grid because every engagement is tailored.
How does booking work?
Directly by email to hallo@kalebru.com with topic, audience, date, location and format. Klaus typically replies within 48 hours with an assessment of fit, availability and a concrete offer. A briefing call beforehand is available on request.
How much preparation does a good format need?
For keynotes, at least two weeks of lead time for a briefing call and audience adaptation. Workshops and intensive courses include a preparatory process-mapping workshop so that content and case examples come from the real corporate context. For shorter lead times, Klaus draws on an existing catalogue of proven formats.
In which languages are the formats held?
German and English. Klaus has worked internationally (Silicon Valley, Shanghai, Milan, New York) and delivers keynotes and workshops natively in both languages — mixed-language formats for international teams are also possible.