Welcome

Maximilian Wolf

IT-Business Translator & Innovation Leader

A generalist with an advanced technical background and broad business expertise, I serve as a translator between IT and business. Over 10 years of experience spanning from Intern to Director, specializing in translating complex technology into business value at the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and innovation.

Maximilian Wolf - IT-Business Translator and Innovation Leader at CISPA

Highlights

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Organization Builder & Strategic Leader

Built and scaled entire org units from the ground up, growing teams from 5 to 25+ FTEs across multiple locations within just a few years. Designed and launched funding programs, initiated internal product development projects, implemented new processes and workflows, and acquired strategic partners including multinational corporations and leading VC funds.

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Regional Innovation Leader

Well-known figure in the regional startup and innovation landscape. Supported 35+ startups that collectively raised €50M+ in venture capital. Founded INNOVINATI – a digital services company targeting regional startups and SMEs. Initiated and leads the startups.saarland project, a digital hub for the regional startup ecosystem. Designated co-founder of "Project J.A.R.V.I.S.", a spin-off project for provably secure smart building solutions at CISPA.

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Technical Product Developer

Passionate web developer who combines technical expertise with business use cases. Led internal product development projects and built custom solutions for various employers and customers, including web scraping tools for competitive intelligence and data-driven business applications. Focused on rapid prototyping, automation-first approaches, and user-centric design.

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Strategic Partnership Builder

Successfully acquired and managed strategic partnerships with major corporations, leading VC funds, and NGOs. Proven ability to align technology initiatives with business objectives and create value through cross-sector collaboration. Engaged in high-level discussions with senior stakeholders from state-level governments, OECD, and international conferences.

Career

Head of Technology Transfer

CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security · St. Ingbert, Germany
Leading Technology Transfer at the world's top-ranked research center in Computer Security & Cryptography. Overseeing 4 teams with ~25 permanent FTEs and ~0.5M EUR annual budget.
  • Launched innovation hubs in Munich and Berlin with ESMT Berlin and TU Munich / UnternehmerTUM
  • Initiated AI-driven tool for automated innovation scouting based on CISPA's research publications
  • Built specialized reporting and monitoring systems for all technology transfer activities

Head of Startups & Entrepreneurship

CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security · Saarbrücken, Germany
Led the Startups and Entrepreneurship department within CISPA's Technology Transfer unit.
  • Scaled the incubator to support 35+ start-ups with €50M+ in collective VC funding
  • Launched CISPA Venture Capital Fund and Founders Fellowship program
  • Grew team from 4 to 10 experienced domain experts (150% growth)

Technical Consultant

CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security
Technology scouting, technical evaluation of start-ups, and advising founders on product commercialization.

Business Development Manager / Co-Founder

CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security · Project J.A.R.V.I.S.
Co-founded one of CISPA's first spin-off projects (€0.8M funding) for provably secure smart building solutions.

Managing Director / Founder

INNOVINATI UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
Founded and managed a digital services company providing web development, digital marketing, and cloud hosting to regional startups and SMEs.

Intern / Working Student

PricewaterhouseCoopers GmbH WPG · Public Sector Consulting
Data analysis, software development, and client workshops for digital transformation in the German public sector.

Intern / Working Student

Software AG · ARIS Product Management
User demo validation, knowledge base creation, and customer event organization for the ARIS product team.

Education

Helmholtz Leadership Academy

"Führung übernehmen" Program

B.Sc. Business Informatics

Saarland University · Grade: 2.8 (C+)

Abitur / Baccalauréat

Lycée Franco-Allemand · Grade: 1.1 (A)

Skills & Tools

Core Competencies

Strategic Management Innovation Leadership Technology Transfer Stakeholder Alignment Public Speaking Ecosystem Building

Programming & Web

Python JavaScript / TypeScript HTML / CSS Django FastAPI Flask

AI & Data

OpenAI API LangChain LM Studio pandas Jupyter Streamlit

DevOps & Cloud

AWS GCP Docker Git / GitHub PostgreSQL Redis

Languages

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German Native (C2)
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English Professional (C1/C2)
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French Fluent (C1)

Open-Source Work

Contribution Activity

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Public Repos
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Followers
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Following
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Gists

Top Repositories

Freelancing & Consulting

I also work as a freelancer, combining my hands-on technical know-how with business strategy. Whether you're a startup looking to scale, an SME needing custom solutions, or a corporate team seeking digital transformation, I can help you bridge the gap between technology and business objectives.

After years of running INNOVINATI UG, I'm transitioning to freelance consulting, focusing on advisory and small to medium-sized, data and web-oriented IT projects. This allows me to provide the same high-quality services with less administrative overhead and more flexibility.

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Startup Support

Strategic guidance and technical execution for early-stage companies. From product development to scaling strategies, I help startups navigate the intersection of technology and business growth.

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Custom Development

Build custom integrations, applications, and APIs tailored to your business needs. Full-stack development with a focus on scalable, maintainable solutions for SMEs.

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SEO & Digital Marketing

Comprehensive SEO projects to improve your online visibility and drive organic growth. Data-driven strategies and execution for sustainable results.

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Digital Tools & Transformation

Advisory and hands-on support for selecting, implementing, and launching digital tools in teams. From evaluation to rollout, ensuring smooth adoption and maximum value.

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Data-Oriented Projects

Specialized focus on data-driven IT projects. From data pipelines and analytics to AI/ML implementations, helping businesses unlock value from their data.

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Technical Strategy

Combining technical expertise with business acumen to develop strategies that align technology investments with business goals. Perfect for companies at the crossroads of growth and digitalization.

Impressions

Let's Connect

I'm always interested in discussing IT, business, innovation, or potential collaborations – there's so much to do!