Hilmar F. John is the managing director of fokus.energie e.V.. He completed his training and studies as a Bankkaufmann, Dipl. Int. Betriebswirt (AIM), business-mediator (IHK) and restructuring & reorganization consultant (IfUS). In 1997, he founded an industrial company, developed it into a system supplier and contract manufacturer for renowned customers, especially in the field of medical and laboratory equipment technology, and managed it as managing partner until its strategic sale to a holding company in September 2019.

His particular concern is the successful implementation of a product idea to a successful sales product. With his own experience as an entrepreneur as well as from industrial (series) production, he can offer decisive support, from which the startups supported by the Accelerator AXEL can also benefit.

Christos Klamouris is the central contact person for Startups and the AXEL programs. He studied electrical engineering and information technology, first in Greece, then at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Master of Science). He also developed his business skills by studying entrepreneurship at the Dual University of Karlsruhe. 

As the founder of a high-tech startup, he has spent the last few years practicing entrepreneurship in practice, successfully leading teams and industrial projects in the energy sector and turning technical innovations into products. Christos supports you with a lot of commitment in all questions around your start-up, as if he were a co-founder.

Dr.-Ing. Hans Hubschneider is a computer scientist from the very beginning. He founded PTV Corp with IT applications in transport sector in 1979, which he managed till 2011. Since then he is also active in energy economy and technology areas.

Besides his active participation in startups in the fields of mobility and energy, he also supports the Innovation Plattform EIT InnoEnergy and the Think Tank "Internet of Energie" at the Federation of German Industries (BDI). Since 2014 Hans Hubschneider is the Chairman of the Board of fokus.energie energy network that connects education, research and founders support in the TechnologyRegion Karlsruhe.
He has been showing his commitment to young companies for many years as a Chairman of the Advisory Board of Technologiefabrik Karlsruhe.  And AXEL - Energy Accelerator is the favorite project: we want to help both young and mature individuals to become business owners in energy area!

Johannes Wagner studied literature and history at the University of Karlsruhe and graduated with a Magister Artium.

As Public Relations Manager / Press Spokesman, Johannes coordinates AXEL's public relations and is the first contact person at AXEL for all representatives of the press and media. He also works as a freelance journalist and editor in the radio and print sector.