Paul Kruegel (Paul Krügel in German) is an AI consultant and software builder in Vienna, Austria. He helps SMEs and mid-sized companies use AI deliberately, from use case and model choice to architecture and operations, translating between leadership and engineering. He builds a portfolio of his own software products with AI agents, including FieldProFlow, field sales software for FMCG retail, and is Head of AI Acceleration & Growth at AI Factory Austria AI:AT.

Which roles does Paul Kruegel take on?

Owning AI in companies: as an advisor, as interim AI lead for a limited time or in a leadership role for AI. Plus board and jury mandates and talks, in German and English.

How is the name written?

Paul Krügel in German, Paul Kruegel internationally. Profiles: LinkedIn in/pkruegel and X @paulkruegel. Website paulkruegel.com.

Paul Kruegel: AI leadership, roles and results

In numbers

AI products in the market	since 2016
Budget for launching Siemens Healthineers’ first AI product	EUR 2M+ per year
Raised by startups we supported (Valuex)	USD 25M+
Valuex AG valuation in year two	USD 10M+
Partnership revenue at Cointelegraph in 2025	USD 4M+
Startups and teams supported	80+
Juries, evaluations and trainings	150+
Changes to my own product, around 95% written by AI agents	1,215

Sources: my own CV and LinkedIn profile; product numbers from the repository (as of 21 October 2026).

What I own

Strategy and decisions: Where AI pays off, what it costs and who a company becomes dependent on, with a clear recommendation: build, buy or stop. For leadership teams in the AI Factory Austria Executive Track and in my own reviews.
Product and architecture: FieldProFlow, field sales software with paying customers: product, architecture, operations and sales. AI agents write around 95% of the code; sign-offs stay with me. Of 1,215 changes I stopped 83. The numbers.
Programmes and teams: Head of Program at Cointelegraph Accelerator with more than 40 startups, helped build the UNDP AltFinLab SDG accelerator for 20+ AI and blockchain teams, the Start AI, Build AI and Scale AI workshops at AI Factory Austria. More than 80 startups and teams supported.
Market and communications: Global communications for the Siemens Healthineers AI-Rad Companion from launch, with a EUR 2M+ yearly budget and international teams, plus the AI story for the 2018 IPO. More than 150 juries, trainings and workshops, speaker at Paris Blockchain Week 2025.
Growth and revenue: As Web3 Business Director at Cointelegraph in 2025, 10+ partnerships with more than USD 4M in revenue. At Deloitte Digital, helped build the Salesforce and digital consulting business in Austria.
Running companies: Co-founder of Valuex AG and CEO for the first two years: USD 1M+ revenue in year one, USD 10M+ valuation in year two; the startups we supported raised USD 25M+. First software company of my own in 2013, launched in Europe, the US and Australia.

Roles

When	Organisation and role	Responsibility
since 2026	AI Factory Austria AI:AT Head of AI Acceleration & Growth	The Start AI, Build AI and Scale AI workshops and the Executive Track for SMEs, startups and leadership teams. Mentor at the Public AI Hackathon 2.0 with Austria’s Federal Chancellery.
ongoing	FieldProFlow Founder	Product, architecture, operations and sales of field sales software with paying customers, built with AI agents.
2026	UNDP AltFinLab Technical Lead Emerging Tech (AI and blockchain)	Helped build the SDG accelerator, including curriculum and team selection. Workshops on go-to-market and investor readiness for 20+ AI and blockchain teams.
2024–⁠2025	Cointelegraph Head of Program Accelerator, then Web3 Business Director	More than 40 startups in the accelerator, jury and pitch events with investors, workshops in Dubai, speaker at Paris Blockchain Week 2025. In 2025, 10+ partnerships with more than USD 4M in revenue.
since 2022	Valuex AG Co-founder, CEO for the first two years	Strategy and fundraising advisory for tech startups: USD 1M+ revenue in year one, USD 10M+ valuation in year two. The startups we supported raised USD 25M+.
2019–⁠2020	Deloitte Digital Austria Senior Business Development Manager	Helped build the Salesforce and digital consulting business in Austria, digital transformation and CRM strategy for enterprise clients.
2016–⁠2019	Siemens Healthineers Global communications, Senior Manager Strategic Marketing	The company’s first AI product, the AI-Rad Companion, from launch: EUR 2M+ budget per year, international teams, launch at RSNA in Chicago, the AI story for the 2018 IPO.
2013–⁠2015	rethynk Founder and CEO	My first software company: SaaS for digital publishing, launched in Europe, the US and Australia.

Talks, juries and media

A selection from recent years, with a source where it is public.

Stages, juries, moderation

Oct 2026Public AI Hackathon 2.0Mentor · AI Factory Austria with the Federal Chancellery, Vienna
Jun 2026Proof of Talk, Palais du LouvreModerator of the UNDP SDG Blockchain Accelerator Impact Showcase · Paris
Nov 2025Blockchain Impact Forum, UNDP AltFinLabJury of the accelerator showcase and panel · Copenhagen
May 2025Proof of Pitch at Proof of TalkJury · ParisSource Proof of Pitch at Proof of Talk, (opens new page)
May 2025VC<>Startup Connect: Dubai EditionWorkshop for founders · DubaiSource VC<>Startup Connect: Dubai Edition, (opens new page)
Apr 2025Paris Blockchain WeekSpeaker · ParisSource Paris Blockchain Week, (opens new page)
Feb 2025Community Connect: Dubai Edition, DMCCWorkshop · DubaiSource Community Connect: Dubai Edition, DMCC, (opens new page)
Mar 2023IAA Luncheon “The future of the token economy”Speaker · ZurichSource IAA Luncheon “The future of the token economy”, (opens new page)
Nov 2018RSNA, Siemens HealthineersLaunch communications for AI-Rad Companion and AI-Pathway Companion · Chicago

Plus further stages and juries, among others at TOKEN2049 in Dubai, NFC Summit, Emergence, the TUM Blockchain Conference and earlier editions of Proof of Talk.

Media and contributions

Jul 2025Cointelegraph: TradeOS joins Cointelegraph AcceleratorQuoted as Head of Program
May 2025Cointelegraph: THORWallet joins Cointelegraph AcceleratorQuoted as Head of ProgramSource Cointelegraph, (opens new page)
Apr 2024Newsfile on Nasdaq: Fineqia invests in Valuex portfolio of companiesnamed as CEO of ValuexSource Newsfile on Nasdaq, (opens new page)
May 2023LEADERSNET: Swedish foundation presents a new blockchain-based cloudQuoted as strategy advisorSource LEADERSNET, (opens new page)
Feb 2022LEADERSNET: Valuex launches with a new approach to blockchainLaunch report with quoteSource LEADERSNET, (opens new page)
Dec 2019LinkedIn: Artificial intelligence and medicineOwn article (German)Source LinkedIn, (opens new page)
Feb 2019Health Awareness: Smart scanning and image interpretationContribution for Siemens Healthineers on AI in imagingSource Health Awareness, (opens new page)

How I steer AI

Six rules that teams and agents work by with me:

The model delivers, the code does the maths.
AI only where it pays off. And it can always be switched off.
Answers only from approved knowledge.
Nothing reaches production without a check.
A deliberate no is a decision too.
Data stays in the EU. And only as much as needed.

What others say

“He has a rare ability to look at a project and quickly get to the core business risks and opportunities.”

Chris Scibiorek, Cointelegraph Accelerator · LinkedIn recommendation

“His mastery of strategic conceptualization and actionable execution is second to none, parsing the signal from the noise.”

Anthony Francis, Cointelegraph · LinkedIn recommendation

“Thanks to him the global launch of the AI-Rad Companion was an outstanding success.”

Ivo Driesser, Siemens Healthineers · LinkedIn recommendation

All recommendations on LinkedIn

AI leadership: owning AI, from a global corporation to my own product