- More than 20 years as an entrepreneur, including Rocket Internet, CryptoTicker and Gründerfreunde.
- AI agents have worked in my own companies every day for years.
- “AI consultant” is not a protected title in Germany: practice is the better criterion.
- The first call takes 20 minutes and is free.
- Talks, panels and workshops in German and English.
- BAFA funding for the consulting: coming soon.
What an AI consultant does
An AI consultant helps companies use artificial intelligence where it pays off and leave it out where it costs more than it brings. That is less technology than many think. What it takes is expertise in processes, an understanding of customers and markets and the courage to say no. Most of the work lies in questions like these: Does this process occur often enough? Is the data there? What happens when the system makes a mistake? And who on the team is responsible?
My tasks as an AI consultant are therefore: find potential, score use cases, select suitable AI solutions and tools, place data protection and the AI Act in context, set up a roadmap and guide the rollout. How that works in detail is on the page AI consulting for mid-sized companies.
The fields of application range from sales, marketing and social media through bookkeeping and customer service to production. Almost everywhere it comes down to the same question: which business processes can be improved with AI-supported workflows, and how do they integrate with the systems already in place? In regulated industries such as healthcare, stricter data rules apply; that belongs in the analysis from the start.
How I became an AI consultant
I was born in Hamburg and have been an entrepreneur for more than two decades. My time at Rocket Internet in Berlin shaped me: pace, ambition and the experience that execution matters more than the perfect idea. With CryptoTicker I built one of the leading German-language crypto platforms early on, with the C3 Crypto Conference one of Berlin's large crypto conferences, and with Gründerfreunde I have been writing first-hand about founder life for more than ten years.
Today this comes together in my holding Weidner Ventures and in The Agentics, an agent-built venture builder where processes are designed for AI agents from the start rather than automated afterwards. What holds up there, I bring from the startup world to mid-sized companies as an AI consultant. The perspectives of a founder and an investor help to judge innovations soberly: what does it cost, what does it bring, and who will work with it in the end? The long version of my path is on About and in From a budget PC to autonomous agents.
AI consulting: how I work
Four principles run through every project, whether I work as an AI consultant for a mid-sized company or in my own businesses:
- Process first, tool second. I choose AI tools to fit your process, not the other way round.
- Start small, measure properly. Every AI project starts with a checkable result and targets agreed in advance.
- People steer, AI executes. For every task a system takes over, one person answers for it.
- No number without a source. A plausible-sounding error costs more than the automation saves, so every result is made checkable.
What this looks like in my own daily work is described in the topic hub AI in the founder's working day. How these principles turn into a roadmap is shown in AI strategy for mid-sized companies in five steps.
Finding an AI consultant: how to recognise a good one
“AI consultant” is not a protected title in Germany. Anyone may use it, and certificate courses, for example at the chambers of commerce, show basic knowledge but not practice. These five questions help you choose:
| Question for the AI consultant | What a good answer looks like |
|---|---|
| Do you use AI yourself? | They show their own processes that run on it today, not just client logos. |
| How is success measured? | Targets and a decision date are fixed before the start. |
| Who is responsible for the results? | For every use case one person on your team signs off. |
| How do you handle our data? | Place of processing, data processing agreement and access rights are settled. |
| What happens after the consulting? | The roadmap holds even if you implement with another partner. |
Becoming an AI consultant: requirements, training and practice
Many people searching for “AI consultant” want to become one, whether as a full-time job at a consultancy, as a role in their own company or self-employed. Demand is there: the use of AI in the economy is growing faster than companies and organisations can train their own staff, and KfW names a lack of skilled staff as the main obstacle for German SMEs.
Training courses teach the basics: how AI models work, which AI technologies exist, what data protection and the AI Act require. The most important requirements, however, are learned in practice: understanding business processes, knowledge of data and project work, the ability to talk to management and teams on equal terms, and a willingness to learn, because the tools change every quarter. Good experts turn this into a contribution that goes beyond building a system: they guide the transformation of processes and teams. Inside companies this often creates the role of an AI manager who steers implementation internally; the AI consultant brings the outside view and the experience from many projects.
AI speaker: talks and workshops
I speak at conferences, business events and associations about artificial intelligence in everyday business, with examples from my own engine room, and I am happy to join interviews and panels. Typical topics:
- AI agents in mid-sized companies: what already works today
- People steer, AI executes: leading a company with AI agents
- AI strategy in five steps: from the first use case to regular operations
- Small teams, big impact: founding and growing with AI
The quickest way to plan a talk or workshop is a short call: pick a slot or use the contact form.
What does an AI consultant cost?
Prices on the market vary widely, from individual freelancers to large consulting firms. With me the first call is free. After that you get a fixed price for every step before we start. BAFA funding for consulting small and medium-sized companies in Germany is coming soon.
Consulting and implementation from one network
As your AI consultant I am your contact for strategy and rollout. For implementation, meaning building and running automations and AI agents, I work with the team at Weidner & Friends. You get both from one source and can still implement the roadmap just as well with your own IT.
Frequently asked questions
What does an AI consultant do?
They find the processes where artificial intelligence saves measurable time or money, score use cases, select suitable solutions, place data protection and the AI Act in context and guide the rollout. The goal is a roadmap the team carries itself.
What does an AI consultant cost?
Market prices vary widely. With me the 20-minute first call is free, and every further step has a fixed price before the start. BAFA funding for the consulting is coming soon.
Is “AI consultant” a protected title?
No. Neither “AI consultant” nor “management consultant” is protected in Germany. So look for practice: own projects, measurable results and a clear approach to data.
What is the difference between AI consulting and AI implementation?
Consulting decides what is done and in which order; implementation builds it. Some providers mean both by AI consulting. With me, consulting is the core, and the team at Weidner & Friends takes over implementation if you wish.
Can I book you as an AI speaker?
Yes, for talks, panels and workshops, in German or English. The fastest way to settle topic, format and date is a 20-minute call.
Do you only advise in Berlin?
No. I advise online across Germany and like to run workshops on site, because processes are best understood where they happen.
Further reading
- AI consulting for mid-sized companies
- AI strategy for mid-sized companies: a five-step roadmap
- About me
- What an AI agent really is
Note: AI tools supported me in writing this page. I stand behind its content and every statement with my name.