Co-Founder (in Residence) | Baggage Tech in Berlin, Berlin at beamberlin

36.1 million bags were mishandled worldwide in 2024. Almost half of those failures happen at transfer points, where one system hands a bag to another and nobody has real-time visibility. ATA now requires tracking at every custody handover and much of the industry still cannot do it well. Build the company that closes that gap.

Beam is the corporate venture builder of BEUMER Group, one of the world's leading builders of airport baggage handling systems. We co-found B2B SaaS startups with entrepreneurial talent to solve critical problems across the logistics and industrial sectors.

As Co-Founder in Residence, you'll validate one of our pre-validated venture opportunities over up to 18 months, with Beam's team and BEUMER's network behind you, and prepare to launch the company.

The Problem We're Solving

Every airline, airport, and ground handler holds a piece of the bag's journey, and none of them hold the full picture. Handovers are the weak link between airline systems, between airport BHS and airline data, between origin and transfer airports, and the cost lands on airlines as compensation, on airports as reputational damage, and on passengers as delay and lost trust.

We are building the real-time custody and tracking layer that sits above existing baggage systems and airline ops, closing the transfer-handover gap with the data that already exists, and turning IATA's tracking mandate from a compliance burden into an operational upgrade.

What we look for

• Founded or scaled a company in aviation, airport tech, or industrial B2B

• Run commercial or operations inside an airline, airport, ground handler, or aviation-tech scale-up

• Led BD or strategy with aviation, logistics, or industrial clients

• A founder-like mindset: independent, driven, and resourceful

• Strong analytical skills, comfortable turning warm intros into signed pilots

• Fluency in English; German is a plus. An existing network in European aviation is a real plus, not a must

What you'll work on

• Validate the commercial opportunity for a real-time cross-custody tracking layer across airlines, airports, and ground handlers

• Test what airlines will pay for beyond IATA-mandated compliance

• Define the wedge product and MVP; land 2 pilot commitments

• Secure LOIs from airlines or ground handlers

What Beam offers

• A pre-validated startup concept with unusually deep upfront research

• Warm access to BEUMER Group's airport, airline, and ground-handler network

• Pre-seed funding, hands-on launch support, and active help finding your technical co-founder

• Committed runway: minimum 18 months after every round once you reach go-to-market

• A proven venture-building framework — 10+ startups launched since 2018

• Home base in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg alongside other founders in residence

Why Beam might not be for you

• You're not based in Berlin or cannot work in-person 3+ days/week

• You don't have hands-on experience in aviation, airport operations, or enterprise B2B

• You are a current student. Beam isn't suitable for students and is a full-time responsibility