Podcast

Why is it often so complicated to find exactly what I’m looking for in an online shop? It’s a question most of us have probably asked ourselves at some point. But imagine visiting an online store that immediately understands your needs, wishes, and questions. That’s no longer a vision of the future—it’s already a reality.

The Berlin-based startup Frontnow, led by founder and managing director

Marc Funk has successfully achieved exactly that. The Frontnow Advisor enables online retailers to offer personalized, needs-based customer advice—just like in a physical store—across all digital channels. This is made possible by an algorithm that draws on data from the product catalog and can process any form of data, whether structured or unstructured.

“In the past 20 years, the biggest innovation in online retail was accepting crypto as a payment method,” says Marc Funk. “But the customer experience in pre-sales has barely improved during that time. With Frontnow, we’re now fundamentally changing that. Why pre-sales? Because that’s where the money is made in retail.”

Key question today: Can artificial intelligence make the online shopping experience more personal and interactive for customers again?

For more information, visit:

Website: https://frontnow.ai/de/

Marc Funk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcfunk/?originalSubdomain=de

LinkedIn of Tilo Bonow: www.linkedin.com/in/tilobonow/

More episodes of Business Class: @tilobonow

Guest suggestions or contact via email: podcast@piabo.net

This is a podcast production by PIABO Communications.

Across Germany, the electronics industry—employing over 873,000 people and generating a total revenue of €182 billion in 2020—ranks as the second-largest sector. Amid these impressive figures, there are companies that stand out with innovative approaches and bring fresh momentum to the electronics industry. One such company is CELUS. With its unique approach, it is playing a key role in shaping the future of the electronics sector at Germany’s innovation hub.

Tobias Pohl founded the startup in 2018 together with his brother Alexander Pohl and André Alcalde. The Munich-based company offers a cloud-based B2B SaaS platform that improves the process of electronics development. Using a comprehensive database of manufacturer information, the platform leverages artificial intelligence to support developers. The technology enables electrical engineers to respond flexibly to price changes or supply shortages without manual adjustments.

“The idea for CELUS came from youthful naivety, personal frustration, and a lot of stubbornness. We kept hearing that we had a great idea, but that what we wanted to do was technically impossible,” reflects Tobias Pohl on the founding of the company. Now, five years later, the critics have gone silent—thanks in no small part to the €25 million Series A funding, which validated the founders on their journey.

Key question today: How is the German electronics industry shaping its future in the global innovation race?

For more information, visit:

Website:⁠https://www.celus.io/de/⁠

LinkedIn of Tobias Pohl: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobias-pohl/⁠

LinkedIn of Tilo Bonow: www.linkedin.com/in/tilobonow/

More episodes of Business Class: @tilobonow

Guest suggestions or contact via email: podcast@piabo.net

This is a podcast production by PIABO Communications.

In today’s digitalized world, big data is often discussed, but its true value is still not fully recognized by many companies. With more and more data becoming available to us every day, opportunities arise to gain deeper insights into business processes, customer needs, and potential business models.

Those who want to identify developments and trends in e-commerce as early as possible can do so with data-driven pricing. This concept involves mechanisms that influence our daily shopping experience. Prices are no longer fixed but change dynamically—adjusted for holidays, school vacations, competitor offers, and even how often a person visits an online shop.

“I wasn’t born with the idea of founding a startup; we more or less came to it by a fortunate coincidence. I myself come from a family of entrepreneurs,” reflects CTO and Co-Founder Dat Tran on the founding of Priceloop. The startup positions itself as a co-pilot for pricing strategies, promising to automatically optimize and provide transparency on how prices influence purchasing decisions—helping companies avoid suboptimal pricing.

Key question today: AI in e-commerce – how do we balance advanced technology with human experience?

For more information, visit:

Website: ⁠https://www.priceloop.ai/de/who-we-are⁠

LinkedIn of Dat Tran: ⁠linkedin.com/in/dat-tran-a1602320⁠

LinkedIn of Tilo Bonow: www.linkedin.com/in/tilobonow/

More episodes of Business Class: @tilobonow

Guest suggestions or contact via email: podcast@piabo.net

This is a podcast production by PIABO Communications.