Alfons Felice

Co-Founder of DirectSense GmbH

Background

  • Current Position: Chief Technical Officer & Co‑Founder, DirectSens GmbH
  • Focus: Development, scaling, and commercialization of innovative biosensor systems
  • Role in the Company: Strategic technology planning, head of R&D, interface between development and commercialization
  • Education: Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)

Expertise

  • Biotechnology & biosensing
  • Enzymatic systems and electrochemical detection
  • Technology transfer & IP strategy
  • Product development in the life sciences
  • Building and leading technical teams
  • Interface management between R&D, commercialization, and production
  • Company formation & strategy development in the deep‑tech environment

Marcus Lebensmühlbacher

Co‑Founder and CEO of Holloid GmbH

Background

  • Current Position: Co‑Founder & CEO, Holloid GmbH
  • Focus: Building the business model, incubation, go‑to‑market, financing; team building from scratch; IP and patent management (15 granted patents); legal affairs
  • Role in the Company: Operational management
  • Education: WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business): MSc/MIM International Management/CEMS; University of Vienna: International Development (diploma program); CFA Charterholder

Special Expertise

  • Cornerstones of company formation: Alignment of founders’ interests (commitment, equity, roles) and stakeholders (IP, market access)
  • Funding: Bootstrapping, grants, venture capital, financial planning
  • Business model, go‑to‑market, market entry

 

Eva Sommer

Entrepreneur and Experienced CEO

Background

  • Entrepreneur and experienced CEO in FoodTech and biotechnology with a focus on deep tech
  • Built two deep-tech companies; successfully sold one for €15 million
  • Raised over €10 million in venture capital
  • Expertise in scaling complex technologies in regulated markets—from scientific innovation to operational execution

Expertise

  • Building and scaling technology-driven startups
  • Operational excellence and KPI-driven leadership
  • Fundraising and investor relations
  • Precision fermentation and industrial biotechnology
  • Research Grants

Fun Fact


My comfort zone begins where others get nervous—walking barefoot alone through the desert, with no signal and no set destination.

Pinar Frank

Co-founder and CPO of Holloid GmbH

Background

  • Current position: Co-founder & Chief Product Officer, Holloid GmbH, Vienna
  • Focus: Development of market-oriented deep-tech products, cross-functional project management, and the establishment of development, production and technical support
  • Role within the company: Technical management, product definition, technical implementation, management of complex projects, team building, and acting as the interface between technology, customers and commercialization
  • Education: PhD in Biophysics, BOKU, and Master’s degree in Technical Physics, JKU Linz 

Expertise

  • Operational management in deep-tech start-ups
  • Deep-tech product development
  • Establishment and leadership of interdisciplinary technical teams
  • Project management in interdisciplinary and international contexts
  • Technical customer communication, training and application-oriented development
  • Microscopy, spectroscopy, biophysical analytics and data-driven evaluation of complex systems 

Roman Kittl

Co-Gründer von DirectSense GmbH

Background

  • Studied Food and Biotechnology at BOKU Vienna; graduated in 2003 as Diplom‑Ingenieur (equivalent to an MSc). PhD in 2008 (Dr. nat. techn.) in Biotechnology/Biochemistry with a focus on enzyme engineering and biocatalytic processes.
  • Active in academic research from 2004–2019, including roles as postdoctoral researcher and project lead at BOKU, with stints in Canada (UBC, Vancouver) and the USA; led several competitive research projects with a strong application focus.
  • Key insight in 2013: Many excellent technologies fail to make the leap from the lab to the market.
  • Co‑founder of DirectSens GmbH; since then COO responsible for operational build‑up, technology transfer, industrialization, and establishing robust company and team structures; development of biosensor solutions based on university research.

Expertise

  • Biosensing and enzyme technology (especially oxidoreductases, laccases, directed evolution)
  • Technology transfer from academic research and scientific ideas into market‑ready products
  • Founding, building, and scaling deep‑tech start‑ups and spin‑offs from academia in the life‑science domain
  • Operational leadership (COO) at the interface of research, technology, and the market
  • Building structures, processes, and teams in research‑ and technology‑driven start‑ups
  • Many years of experience bridging science and business

Fun fact

Spent years optimizing enzymes—and now applies the same patience and systematic approach to business models and teams.