Entrepreneur · Technologist · Engineer
Jeff Katz
Building autonomous systems at the intersection of hardware and software. Two decades of experience turning ambitious ideas into products that , at scale.
About
I'm a serial entrepreneur and engineer who thrives in the space between
hardware and software, between startups and enterprises,
and between Europe and America. Currently, I lead technology at
Avtonomy, where we're building safety-critical autonomous systems for drones—bringing
functional safety, robust operating systems, and embedded best practices to defense and infrastructure applications.
Previously, I've architected next-gen infotainment platforms at Mercedes-Benz,
led IoT strategy at Telefónica, and built physical access systems from
prototype to production at KIWI.KI. I've directly managed engineering teams up to 50, and at Daimler
I was responsible for 600+ engineers and a €400M+ budget. I still love getting my hands dirty
with firmware and soldering irons.
Experience
Co-Founder & CTO
Avtonomy · Berlin
Leading technology strategy and engineering for drone autonomy platform. Building functionally-safe embedded systems and real-time operating systems in dual-use applications.
Venture Partner
1.5 Ventures · Berlin
Early-stage investing and advisory for climate tech across Europe.
Senior Principal Systems Architect
MBition (Mercedes-Benz Innovation Lab)
Architected mbient, the infotainment portion of MB.OS—the next-generation operating system powering Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Senior Practice Lead IT/Engineering
Telefónica Germany OHG
Oversaw IT strategy across multiple business units with multi-million Euro budget. Led architecture for consumer IoT platform.
Co-founder & VP Technology
KIWI.KI GmbH
Took IoT access control product from idea through prototype to production and Series-B. Built engineering team and established development processes.
Areas of Focus
Autonomous Systems
Functional safety, real-time, resource-contrained. Best practices for critical technologies in vehicles, manned or unmanned.
Hardware + Software
Bridging the gap between physical products and data. Radio, cryptography, electronics and production logistics.
Technical Leadership
Building and scaling engineering teams, strategy, and processes. Designing scalable systems from embedded firmware to distributed systems.
Speaking & Community
I've spoken at conferences across four continents on topics including IoT security, hardware entrepreneurship, and responsible technology. I'm also active as an angel investor and advisor, including work with HARDWARE.co.