Product in the Age of AI & Growth Pressure

To open the conference, we’re excited to welcome Stefan Ostwald, Co-founder and CPO at Parloa, one of the fastest-growing AI startups in Europe.

In a world where AI is evolving faster than most teams can keep up and where the pressure to grow is relentless, Stefan brings a rare combination of speed, clarity, and execution.

His team at Parloa has scaled rapidly, landed major enterprise deals with partners like Microsoft and OpenAI, and built a strong product culture while navigating the chaos of emerging tech.

In this keynote, Stefan will share:

The behind-the-scenes journey of building Parloa—from early bets to landing enterprise customers
How AI is reshaping product leadership and execution at every level
Practical lessons on building fast, scaling smart, and staying ahead in a fiercely competitive space
A look at Germany’s evolving AI landscape—skills we need, talent we’re missing, and what it takes to lead from hereI

If you're building, leading, or scaling in tech today, this talk will offer concrete insights to help you move faster, think sharper, and lead better, in the age of AI and growth pressure.

Meet the Speaker

Stefan Ostwald, Chief Technology and Product Officer and co-founder of Parloa, is a leader in conversational AI with nearly a decade of experience making customer communications easier and more secure through AI.

He shapes Parloa's vision of seamless, natural customer experiences that feel as easy as talking to a friend. This vision includes Parloa's latest innovation, the AI Agent Management Platform (AMP) – a GenAI-first solution designed to manage customer conversations securely and at scale across phone, chatbots, and more.

In May 2025, Parloa achieved a significant milestone by raising $120 million in a Series C funding round, elevating the company's valuation to $1 billion and securing its status as Germany's 28th unicorn.

Driven by a passion for simplifying life through innovation, Stefan believes the best ideas come from combining research and technology.