2023 Tyto Tech 500

The Tyto Tech 500 is our proprietary ranking of the most influential individuals working in technology across Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands and Sweden. To be included in the list, an individual must have social media, online and offline influence. The Tyto Tech 500 is Europe’s first data-driven ranking of European technology influencers that isn’t reliant on single metrics or subjective opinion.

The full Tyto Tech 500 is used in our advisory work with clients, but the Top 50 influencers in Germany are available below for you to view.

You can access the Top 100 for Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands and Sweden and the pan-European Top 100, by downloading the full report. This includes our trend and sector analysis, helping you and your business to better understand the European tech influencer landscape.

Germany highlights

Germany is the country with the second highest number of influencers in the pan-European top 500 ranking: 23% of the most relevant tech personalities in Europe are German.
It is also the country with the second highest representation of women in the tech sector: 28% of German influencers are women.
The personalities making up the ranking are mainly business leaders (64%), followed by journalists (15%) and academics (8%).

You can also view the the UK’s Top 50, France’s Top 50, the Netherlands’ Top 50 and Sweden’s Top 50.

The influencers included in the Tyto Tech 500 are the basis of our proprietary data-powered insights service, the Tyto Relevance Index™. It uses social media data to reveal the technology and socio-economic topics that dominate the public discourse of Europe’s technology community. The Tyto Relevance Index™ provides a multidimensional view of how the European technology community is engaging with and responding to the greatest challenges facing the world today such as climate change, cybersecurity risks, disinformation and geopolitical conflict and instability.

Download full report

Explore the 2023 highlights

View the top 50 in the UK

View the Top 50 in France

View the Top 50 in the Netherlands

View the Top 50 in Sweden

TYTO TECH 500 – GERMANY’S TOP 50 INFLUENCERS

#01

Robert Habeck

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection
German Government

Short bio: Green politician and Vice Chancellor of Germany. Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.
Organisation: German Government
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robert-habeck/

#02

Annalena Baerbock

Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs
German Government

Short bio: Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany. Former joint chair of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen alongside Robert Habeck.
Organisation: German Government
X: @ABaerbock

#03

Christian Lindner

Federal Minister of Finance
German Government

Short bio: Federal Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Free Democratic Party.
Organisation: German Government
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christian-lindner/
X: @c_lindner

#04

Volker Wissing

Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport
German Government

Short bio: Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport and State Chairman of the FDP Rhineland-Palatinate.
Organisation: German Government
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/volkerwissing/
X: @Wissing

#05

Carsten Spohr

CEO
Lufthansa

Short bio: Chairman and CEO of Lufthansa.
Organisation: Lufthansa

#06

Jens Spahn

Member of the German Parliament
German Parliament

Short bio: German Member of Parliament and former Minister of Health.
Organisation: German Government
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jensspahn/
X: @jensspahn

#07

Carsten Maschmeyer

Founder
Maschmeyer Group

Short bio: Entrepreneur and startup investor.
Organisation: Maschmeyer Group
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carsten-maschmeyer/
X: @maschmeyer

#08

Andreas Scheuer

Member of German Parliament
German Parliament

Short bio: German Member of Parliament and proponent of climate friendly and digital innovation policies. Former Parliamentary State Secretary in the former Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs.
Organisation: German Parliament
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andreas-scheuer-060541202/
X: @andreasscheuer

#09

Oliver Blume

CEO
Porsche and Volkswagen Group

Short bio: Manager and CEO of Volkswagen Group and Porsche.
Organisation: Porsche and Volkswagen Group

#10

Herbert Diess

Chairman of Supervisory Board
Infineon Technologies

Short bio: Sustainable technology entrepreneur. Chairman of Supervisory Board of Infineon Technologies. Former Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Group.
Organisation: Infineon Technologies
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/herbertdiess/
X: @Herbert_Diess

#11

Richard Lutz

Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO
Deutsche Bahn

Short bio: Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO at Deutsche Bahn (German Rail).
Organisation: Deutsche Bahn
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/richardlutzdb/

#12

Sandra Ciesek

Director
Institute of Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main

Short bio: Medical doctor and virologist. Director at University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, and professor at the Institute of Virology.
Organisation: Institute of Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sandra-ciesek-40304995/
X: @CiesekSandra

#13

Ola Källenius

CEO
Mercedez-Benz Group AG

Short bio: Chairman and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
Organisation: Mercedes-Benz Group AG
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ola-källenius/
X: @OlaKaellenius

#14

Judith Gerlach

Minister of State for Digital Affairs
German Government

Short bio: Minister of State for Digital Affairs and Member of the State Parliament in the Free State of Bavaria.
Organisation: German Government
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/judith-gerlach-406982223/
X: @gerlach_judith

#15

Dorothee Bär

Member of German Parliament
German Parliament

Short bio: Deputy leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group for family, culture and media. Former Minister of State for Digitalisation. Former Parliamentary State Secretary for Transport and Digital Infrastructure.
Organisation: German Parliament
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dorothee-bär-631323118/
X: @DoroBaer

#16

Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut

Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism of the State of Baden-Württemberg
German Bundesrat

Short bio: Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism of the State of Baden-Württemberg.
Organisation: German Bundesrat
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-nicole-hoffmeister-kraut-0930b4254/

#17

Roland Busch

President and CEO
Siemens AG

Short bio: President and CEO of Siemens.
Organisation: Siemens AG
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/buschroland/
X: @BuschRo

#18

Mathias Döpfner

CEO
Axel Springer

Short bio: Businessman and journalist. CEO of Axel Springer. President of the Federal Association of the Digital Economy and Newspaper Publishers.
Organisation: Axel Springer

#19

Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim

Creator
MaiLab

Short bio: Chemist, science communicator, television presenter and YouTuber.
Organisation: MaiLab
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mai-thi-nguyen-kim-42a02a60/
X: @maithi_nk

#20

Ugur Sahin

CEO and Co-Founder
BioNTech

Short bio: Co-founder and CEO of BioNTech. Medical doctor, scientist and innovator. Physician, immunologist and leader in the development of new approaches to fight cancer and infectious diseases.
Organisation: BioNTech
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ugur-sahin-65905917/

#21

Christian Klein

CEO
SAP

Short bio: CEO and member of the Executive Board of SAP SE.
Organisation: SAP
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christian-klein/
X: @ChrstnKlein

#22

Dieter Zetsche

Chairman
TUI Group

Short bio: Chairman of TUI Group and former Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and former Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
Organisation: TUI group.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dieterzetsche/

#23

Verena Pausder

Founder and investor
Pausder Ventures

Short bio: Entrepreneur, expert in digital education and bestselling author. Founder of venture capital firm Pausder Ventures.
Organisation: Pausder Ventures
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/verenapausder/

#24

Sara Weber

Freelance journalist
Self-employed

Short bio: Freelance journalist, media consultant and digital strategist. Formerly Senior Managing Editor for DACH and Benelux at LinkedIn.
Organisation: Self-employed
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/weber-sara/
X: @sara__weber

#25

Stefan Krempl

Freelance journalist
nexttext press agency

Short bio: Author and freelance journalist.
Organisation: nexttext press agency
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stefan-krempl-872b8458/
X: @sonstso_sk

#26

Frank Thelen

Founder and CEO
Freigeist

Short bio: Serial founder and seed investor. Founder and CEO of Freigeist.
Organisation: Freigeist
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/frank-thelen/
X: @frank_thelen

#27

Louisa Dellert

CEO
Aufrichtig media

Short bio: Content creator, moderator and speaker on the climate crisis.
Organisation: Aufrichtig media
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/louisa-dellert-b294441aa/

#28

Thomas Jahn

Technology team leader
Handelsblatt

Short bio: Senior technology journalist.
Organisation: Handelsblatt
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tjahn/
X: @ThomasJahn

#29

Claudia Kemfert

Professor of Energy Economics and Energy Policy
Leuphana University Lüneburg

Short bio: Professor of Energy Economics and Energy Policy at the German Institute for Economic Research and Leuphana University.
Organisation: Leuphana University Lüneburg
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/claudia-kemfert-517598167/
X: @CKemfert

#30

Benedikt Fuest

Editor for innovation, internet and IT
Die Welt

Short bio: Innovation, internet and IT editor at Die Welt.
Organisation: Die Welt
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/benedikt-fuest-a869ab11b/
X: @fanaticTRX

#31

Özlem Türeci

Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer
BioNTech

Short bio: Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at BioNTech. Physician, immunologist and cancer researcher with translational and clinical experience.
Organisation: BioNTech
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/özlem-türeci-34a113124/
X: @tureciozlemdr

#32

Larissa Holzki

AI team lead
Handelsblatt

Short bio: Journalist specialising in AI, Deeptech and startups at Handelsblatt.
Organisation: Handelsblatt
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/larissa-holzki/
X: @LarissaHolzki

#33

Volker Quaschning

Professor of renewable energy systems
Berlin University of Technology and Economics

Short bio: Renewable energy professor, researcher, author and YouTuber.
Organisation: Berlin University of Technology and Economics
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/quaschning/
X: @VQuaschning

#34

Bernhard Schölkopf

Director
Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

Short bio: Machine learning scientist and Director of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems.
Organisation: Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bernhard-schölkopf-732969238/
X: @bschoelkopf

#35

Sascha Lobo

Freelance journalist
Self-employed

Short bio: Author, speaker and columnist on digital issues.
Organisation: Self-employed
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/saschalobo/
X: @saschalobo

#36

Christoph Kapalschinski

Economy and Innovation Editor
Welt

Short bio: Business journalist with a focus on consumer goods, retail, start-ups and venture capital.
Organisation: Welt
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christoph-kapalschinski-a1955727/
X: @kapalschinski

#37

Roland Lindner

U.S. Business Correspondent
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Short bio: Business Correspondent for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in New York reporting on Corporate America, business, politics and lifestyle.
Organisation: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roland-lindner-7b84222b/
X: @RolLindner

#38

Carsten Watzl

Professor of Immunology
Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors

Short bio: Head of the Department of Immunology and Chair at the Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Technical University of Dortmund. Secretary General of the German Society for Immunology.
Organisation: Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors

#39

Sigrid Nikutta

Chairwoman of the board
Deutsche Bahn (German Rail)

Short bio: Board member for freight transport and Chairwoman of the board of Deutsche Bahn Cargo. Speaker on sustainable transport and cargo.
Organisation: Deutsche Bahn (German Rail)
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sigrid-evelyn-nikutta/

#40

Oliver Samwer

Founder and CEO
Rocket Internet

Short bio: Founder and CEO at Rocket Internet and Investor at Global Founders Capital.
Organisation: Rocket Internet
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/oliver-samwer-330559/

#41

Katharina Schneider

Financial Correspondent
Handelsblatt

Short bio: Financial journalist specialising in investments, financial knowledge, fintech, investor law and taxes.
Organisation: Handelsblatt
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katharina-schneider-news/
X: @KatharinasNews

#42

Achim Berg

Operating Partner
General Atlantic

Short bio: Operating Partner and Senior Advisor at General Atlantic. Speaker on new technologies and intelligence, their impact on the economy and society.
Organisation: General Atlantic
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/achimberg/
X: @Achim_Berg

#43

Dana Neumann

Editorial Manager
FUNKE digital

Short bio: Editorial Manager for Futurezone and 4players News at FUNKE Digital. Dana reports on consumer-related technology topics and scientific topics.
Organisation: FUNKE Digital
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dananeumann/

#44

Helmut Martin-Jung

Technology Editor
Süddeutsche Zeitung

Short bio: Technology Editor at Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Organisation: Süddeutsche Zeitung
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hwmj/
X: @hwmj

#45

Julia Jaekel

Member of European Advisory Board
Google Cloud

Short bio: Member of European Advisory Board at Google Cloud, Supervisory Board Member at multiple organisations and former CEO of Gruner + Jahr.
Organisation: Google Cloud
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julia-jaekel/

#46

Tim Höttges

CEO
Deutsche Telekom

Short bio: CEO of Deutsche Telekom.
Organisation: Deutsche Telekom
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timhöttges/

#47

Markus Richter

CIO
German Government

Short bio: CIO of the German Government, responsible for digital transformation, innovation and cybersecurity. State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community and Federal Government Commissioner for Information Technology.
Organisation: German Govenrment
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markus-richter-134315204/
X: @cio_bund

#48

Suzanna Randall

Astrophysicist
European Southern Observatory

Short bio: Astrophysicist, Science Communicator and Astronaut Trainee at the European Southern Observatory.
Organisation: European Southern Observatory
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/suzanna-randall-92079b1a9/
X: @astrosuzanna

#49

Tobias Lütke

CEO and Co-Founder
Shopify

Short bio: CEO and Co-Founder of Shopify.
Organisation: Shopify
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tobiaslutke/
X: @tobi

#50

Stefan Beiersmann

Freelance journalist
Self-employed

Short bio: Freelance technology journalist and author.
Organisation: Self-employed.
X: @beiersmann