KONUX strengthens its operations with top rail manager, Andreas Busemann

Andreas Busemann. Credit: Manuel Kunkel, Your Solution - Mediale Marketing Agentur.

On 1 February 2021, Andreas Busemann will take on the newly-created role of Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at the Munich-based AI scale-up, KONUX.

Andreas previously served as CEO of Vossloh AG, held board and management positions at several subsidiaries of Deutsche Bahn AG (DB) and was the CEO of the Siemens Rail Automation Division.

KONUX Co-Founder and CEO, Andreas Kunze, said: “We are very proud that Andreas, who is a proven rail expert, decided to join KONUX. He is an important asset and a great addition to our team on our way to transforming railway operations for a sustainable future. With many years of industry experience, Andreas has a deep understanding of our customers’ various requirements concerning the modernization of their infrastructures. His know-how and experience both from a rail operator’s perspective and regarding rail technology are very valuable for KONUX.”

Andreas described his motivation to join KONUX as follows: “If you want to strengthen rail, you have to make it smart. Smart rail is the key for rail operators to gain much greater benefit from the existing infrastructure than before. Digitalisation plays a key role in this. KONUX’s cloud-based SaaS model helps our customers to become much faster in implementing digital technologies. And as a neutral and independent player, KONUX focuses entirely on optimising infrastructures, rather than selling them. To me, this innovative approach, combined with the agility of the entire team, is totally convincing.”

AI scale-up

KONUX is one of the largest AI scale-ups in Europe in the field of sustainable transportation. Based on its own AI-Core, KONUX is building SaaS products, using IIoT devices and machine learning to improve railway network capacity, reliability and cost-efficiency. For more than two years, the former Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Deutsche Bahn AG, Dr. Volker Kefer, has also supported KONUX in an advisory capacity.

KONUX is already active in 10 countries, both in Europe and the most important rail markets in Asia. At the end of 2020, KONUX and DB concluded the first ever long-term cloud-based SaaS framework agreement on the digitalisation of DB’s switches as critical elements of the rail infrastructure. KONUX recently received $80 million in a Series C financing round. Among the investors are German-based Sanno Capital and Athos, the family office of the Strüngmanns, who are also BioNTech’s largest shareholder.