Christian Voss

CHRISTIAN VOSS A seasoned commercial leader and founding team member with over 9 years of experience scaling early-stage, deep-tech startups. Specializes in architecting and executing go-to-market strategies from the ground up for disruptive hardware (robotics, exoskeletons) and cleantech technologies. Proven track record in acquiring first key accounts for novel products, building sales & customer success teams and developing innovative business models (RaaS) to establish market leadership and secure venture funding. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE JULY 2024 – PRESENT NEOCARBON Green Tech start-up – manufacturer of a modular Direct Air Capture system to remove historical co2 emissions from the atmosphere. HQ in Berlin JULY 2024 – PRESENT HEAD OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT Recruited to architect the commercialization strategy for a breakthrough climate technology, tasked with identifying the initial markets and securing the first customers to bring this novel solution from the lab to industrial scale • • • Go-to-Market Architecture: Currently developing the inaugural GTM strategy, performing deep market analysis to identify and validate the most viable beachhead verticals (e.g. e-fuels, cement production, data centers). Initial Market Traction: Proactively building the company’s first commercial pipeline, initiating pilot program discussions with over 10 strategic industry leaders across Europe to validate the technology and business model. Business Model Development: Designing innovative sales concepts and carbon removal credit models tailored to different industrial applications, aiming to establish a scalable and repeatable revenue framework. JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024 GREEN CITY SOLUTIONS Green Tech Start-Up – Leading manufacturer of active moss-based biofilters to improve air quality in urban regions. HQ in Bestensee JULY 2023 – JUNE 2024 HEAD OF SALES Brought in to professionalize the commercial operations, I led the entire sales, marketing and customer success organization. My mandate was to refine the GTM strategy, build scalable processes and unlock new revenue streams • • • • Commercial Leadership: Managed and scaled a 10-person commercial team, implementing a new sales playbook and KPI reporting structure that increased lead-to-close conversion rates by 35% within nine months Business Model Innovation: Pioneered and launched a new business model integrating Digital-Out-of-Home (DOOH) advertising on the biofilter units. I built the sales process for this new offering and managed external marketing partners, creating a significant new, high-margin revenue stream. Market Expansion: Drove expansion into new industrial verticals (logistics, manufacturing), securing the first major accounts in these segments and diversifying the company’s revenue base beyond municipal clients Customer Lifecycle Management: Implemented the company’s first formal Customer Success processes FEBRUARY 2018 – JUNE 2023 GERMAN BIONIC SYSTEMS (FOUNDING MEMBER) Robotic Start-Up – leading manufacturer of active, connected exoskeletons for industrial applications. HQ in Augsburg, additional locations in Berlin, Boston (USA – MA) and Tokyo (Japan) FEBRUARY 2018 – FEBRUARY 2020 HEAD OF SALES As a founding team member, I was responsible for building the entire commercial function from the ground up, establishing the company as the market leader in the DACH region. • • • • • Go-toMarket Strategy & Execution: Architected and executed the company’s inaugural GTM strategy from zero, successfully penetrating the industrial and logistics markets and securing the first foundational customers. Initial Customer Acquisition: Personally acquired the first key accounts, including leading automotive and logistics brands, validating the product-market fit and generating the initial revenue stream. Team Building: Recruited, trained, and scaled the initial DACH sales team from 0 to 6 sales professional, creating a high-performance culture. Commercial Model Innovation: Developed and implemented a pioneering “Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) pricing model alongside a traditional cash purchase option, significantly lowering the barrier to entry for customers and accelerating adoption. Sales Infrastructure: Built the company’s first sales playbook and lead qualification processes, creating the scalable foundation for future growth FEBRUARY 2020 – JANUARY 2022 HEAD OF CUSTOMER SUCCESS Recognizing that customer value realization was key to long-term growth, I was tasked with architecting the company’s entire post-sales function from the ground up for the European market. • • • • Strategic Function Building: Built and scaled the European Customer Success team from 0 to 5 professionals, creating the processes for onboarding, training, and long-term account management Value Realization & Adoption: Developed and implemented a comprehensive user training program that was instrumental in improving user adoption rates Customer Retention & Health: Established a data-driven Quarterly Business Review (QBR) and health check process, leading to increased gross revenue retention across the managed portfolio Product Innovation Feedback Loop: Created a formalized process for channeling direct customer and user feedback to the R&D and product teams, influencing the development of new features and significantly improving product market fit JANUARY 2022 – JUNE 2023 HEAD OF SALES & CUSTOMER SUCCESS Assumed full commercial ownership of the DACH SMB segment and was tasked with scaling the Customer Success function into the critical US market to support global expansion • • • Full Lifecycle Ownership: Led both new business acquisition (Inside Sales) and post-sales management (Customer Success) for the SMB segment, growing the customer base Proactive Churn Reduction: Pioneered and implemented a data-driven “early warning system” by analyzing user behavior patterns. This system proactively identified at-risk accounts, enabling targeted interventions that reduced monthly churn. International Expansion: Successfully launched and staffed the Customer Success function for the USA market, building the team from the ground up to support our first North American enterprise clients and establishing a critical foothold for global growth. MARCH 2016 – JANUARY 2018 ATS ADVANCED TELEMATIC SYSTEMS Automotive Software Start-Up – Developed an open-source client/server solution for “Over-the-Air” software updates – HQ in Berlin, additional location in Tokyo, Japan 2 MARCH 2016 – JANUARY 2018 KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER / SALES MANAGER EUROPE As an early commercial hire, I was responsible for establishing the company’s footprint in the European automotive market, securing foundational customers and building the strategic relationship that directly contributed to the company’s successful acquisition by HERE Technologies in 2018. • • • Strategic Account Acquisition: Penetrated the complex automotive OEM and Tier 1 supplier market, securing the company’s first major European customer contracts which were critical in validating the technology and attracting investor interest. Revenue Growth & Pipeline Development: Managed the full sales cycle. Built and managed the European sales pipeline of over €15M, establishing the revenue predictability that was key to the acquisition. Contribute to Successful Exit: Cultivated and managed the key customer relationships that formed the core of the company’s strategic value, playing an instrumental role in positioning ATS as a prime acquisition target for a global leader in location technology FEBRUARY 2010 – FEBRUARY 2016 AUTOMEDIATOR An independent automotive consultancy I founded to disrupt traditional fleet procurement by providing brandagnostic, cost-optimization services for corporate clients - HQ in Berlin FEBRUARY 2010 – FEBRUARY 2016 FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR As the founder, I built the entire business from concept to a profitable and sustainable enterprise, managing all commercial operational, and strategic functions. • • • • Entrepreneurial Venture Creation: Successfully founded, bootstrapped, and profitably operated the company for six years, demonstrating full P&L ownership and the ability to build a viable business from zero Innovative Business Model: Developed and executed a novel, brand-independent consulting model that directly addressed market inefficiencies. This unique value proposition was key to acquiring a loyal client base of over 50 corporate accounts Demonstrable Client Value & ROI: Acted as a strategic advisor to businesses on fleet management, consistently delivering an average of 25-30% in cost savings for clients through expert procurement negotiations and operational optimization Full-Cycle Commercial Ownership: Personally drove all aspects of the business lifecycle, from building the marketing infrastructure (website, CRM) and acquiring new customers to negotiating deals and managing long-term client relationships. FURTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE MARCH 2011 – MAY 2012 SALES CONSULTING PRODUCT LAUNCH GERMANY, LIXIL GROUP, JAPAN JUNE 2009 – JANUARY 2011 SALES & MARKETING MANAGER, SEOSMART, BERLIN MAY 2007 – DECEMBER 2008 SALES DIRECTOR, JÜRGEN VOSS HANDELSGESELLSCHAFT, HAMBURG JANUARY 2004 – APRIL 2007 SALES MANAGER MERCEDES-BENZ PKW, DAIMLER AG, BERLIN AUGUST 2000 – DECEMBER 2003 SALES MANAGER, JÜRGEN VOSS HANDELSGESELLSCHAFT, HAMBURG EDUCATION AUGUST 2000 - FEBRUARY 2003 TRAINING WHOLESALE AND FOREIGN TRADE MERCHANT (IHK) 3 CORE COMPETENCIES Commercial Strategy & Go-to-Market • • • • • GTM Strategy for Pre-Revenue Deep Tech & Hardware Business Model Innovation (RaaS, Licensing, Enterprise Sales) New Market Development & International Expansion (DACH, USA) Pricing & Value Proposition Architecture Investor Relations & Fundraising Support Leadership & Operations • • • • Founder & C-Level Leadership (Bootstrapped & Venture-Backed) Building & Scaling International Commercial Teams from Scratch Full P&L and Commercial Operations Management Sales & Customer Success Playbook Development Languages • • German (Native) English (Full Professional Proficiency) 4