Our team is driven by the ambition to develop cutting-edge audio technology and make immersive sound over headphones as intuitive and natural as real-world listening. We are building tools that allow users to explore soundscapes with clarity, depth, and precision.
As a growing company, we value collaboration, openness, and shared responsibility. Our work environment encourages exchange across disciplines, where ideas are developed collectively and continuously refined.
We believe that diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes. That’s why we foster an inclusive and supportive atmosphere in which everyone is encouraged to contribute their expertise, challenge assumptions, and shape the future of audio with us.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Karlheinz Brandenburg - CEO
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Karlheinz Brandenburg, best known as the co-inventor of mp3 is the founder of Brandenburg Labs. He established himself as a renowned scientist and researcher and served as the institute director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology (IDMT) and as a full professor and head of the Electronic Media Technologies lab at Technische Universität Ilmenau.
Peter Agardi - CFO
Brandenburg Labs is co-led by the experienced businessman Peter Agardi, who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our team as a Managing Director. Peter has gained extensive experience in entrepreneurship, company formation and financing, business development, mergers and acquisitions, while working in academia and economy.
Nils Merten - CTO
Nils, our Chief Technology Officer, joined our team in late 2019 after graduating from TU Ilmenau with a master’s in Media Technology. With a passion for interactive media, music, and everything in between, Nils brings extensive knowledge about digital signal processing, psychoacoustics, and software development to Brandenburg Labs. As CTO, Nils is responsible for the overall technical development of the company.
Thomas Thron – Research Engineer
Thomas Thron is one of the brilliant minds behind Brandenburg Labs. Combining his passion for music and programming, Thomas earned a master’s degree in Media Technology from TU Ilmenau. With his expertise in signal processing, acoustics, and sound analysis, Thomas has been an instrumental part of the team.
Ulrike Sloma – Research and Development Associate
Ulrike Sloma, our research and development associate, brings ample experience and expertise to our R&D team. With a background in Media Technology and extensive work experience at TU Ilmenau, Ulrike has developed a profound knowledge in audio research. Her role at our company involves qualitatively evaluating our cutting-edge audio tools and integrating the results into our development process to ensure top-notch quality.
Anja Lück – Office Management
Anja Lück is our Office Manager and Human Resources professional. With a passion for creating a productive and harmonious work environment, Anja plays an integral role in ensuring the smooth operation of our start-up. As the first point of contact for employees and contractors, Anja is always available to assist with any concerns or questions and provides valuable guidance and support on various inquiries.
Ulrike Lechte – Executive Assistant
Ulrike is an Executive Assistant to our CEO, Karlheinz Brandenburg. With years of extensive experience in sales and management assistant roles, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our team. She has a keen eye for detail and a skill for efficient planning.
Katja Hampe – Head of PR & Marketing
Katja graduated in Applied Media Science at TU Ilmenau and brings many years of experience in market and media research as well as communications. Her expertise ranges from public relations, strategic reputation management, and consumer insights on IT usage. At Brandenburg Labs she’s responsible for communications and is also involved in all processes of corporate development.
Betelhem Sisay Gebregiorgis – Communications Manager
Betelhem is a communications professional who holds a master’s degree in Global Communication: Politics and Society at the University of Erfurt. With a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communication, as well as a master’s degree in Public Relations and Strategic Communication from Addis Ababa University, Betelhem is well-versed in the field of communication and has a keen eye for detail. At Brandenburg Labs, she works closely with cross-functional teams to translate complex audio technologies into clear, engaging narratives and helps shape the company’s communications.
Sami Murati – Senior Business Manager
Sami graduated with a Master of Science degree in Economics from the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena and has since gone on to make a significant impact in the field of business development. Sami is a highly motivated and driven business professional with a diverse sales, product, and project management background. Sami joined Brandenburg Labs to reinforce the business development department. With his innovative problem-solving attitude and passion for business, he has demonstrated an ability to think creatively and solve complex business problems.
Lennert Lifka – Marketing Assistant
Lennert Lifka joined Brandenburg Labs as a Marketing Assistant, supporting the team in visual communication, content creation, and marketing activities. He has a strong interest in creative media and digital communication, with experience in designing visual materials and managing web content. Lennert recently completed his Bachelor’s degree in Applied Media and Communication Science at the Technical University of Ilmenau.
Renato Profeta – Research Engineer
Renato’s career journey began in 2004 when he studied Audio Engineering at the SAE Institute Liverpool. Over the years, he has obtained a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering with a specialized focus on Audio. Renato’s expertise in the field has led him to work on various projects, ranging from loudspeaker manufacturing to cutting-edge research in deep learning for audio signals.
Michael Blau – Software Engineer
Michael graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mechatronics from TU Ilmenau in 2010 and 2018, respectively. He has years of ample experience in the development of software components for real-time signal processing, adaptation of software architecture, and more related areas. He brings forth an innovative problem-solving attitude and a passion for audio engineering.
Rumen Daton – System Administrator
Rumen holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Driven by his passion for technology, he pursued further studies at Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), where he earned a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity, followed by another Master’s in DevOps & Cloud. As a System Administrator at Brandenburg Labs, Rumen brings extensive experience in IT and cybersecurity.
Jeramey Tyler – Software Engineer
Jeramey, with his master’s degree in computer science and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, brings a diverse professional background to our team. From teaching assistant at Indiana University Southeast to serving as a graduate research assistant, Jeramey brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team as a software engineer and researcher. His recent research endeavor involves auditory perceptual modeling and binaural spatial location.
Iko Pieper – Research Engineer
Iko holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Physics from Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg and continued his studies there to complete a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in natural science. His doctoral studies focused on the sense of hearing. As a Research Engineer at Brandenburg Labs, Iko brings valuable knowledge in digital signal processing and research. His recent work includes applying biologically inspired acoustic sensors in hearing aids at the Technical University of Ilmenau.
Pavol Kurina – Embedded Engineer
Pavol Kurina brings extensive experience in embedded systems, software development, and technical system design. He has worked across both research and industry environments, developing robust solutions for complex technical challenges and contributing to projects involving automation, sensor systems, and high-precision measurement technologies. Before joining Brandenburg Labs, Pavol worked as a research associate at the Technical University of Ilmenau, where he contributed to projects in industrial image processing, 3D reconstruction, and robotics.
Noel Toms – Audio Engineer
Noel graduated from TU Ilmenau with his master’s degree in Media Technology and specializes in various fields, including Audio Technology, Music Technology, Signal Processing, and Deep Learning. Under the guidance of our CEO, Karlheinz Brandenburg, Noel completed his media project on ‘Music Segmentation Using Convolutional Neural Networks’ at Fraunhofer IDMT, Ilmenau. As a music enthusiast and professional, Noel is interested in singing, music production, scoring for motion films, and collaborating with musicians worldwide.
Zain Ali – Working Student
Zain, holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology in Pakistan. Zain has ample experience as a software engineer and in related fields in Pakistan. Currently pursuing his master’s degree in media technology at TU Ilmenau, Zain brings a fresh perspective and practical experience as a working student to our dynamic R&D team.
Arthur Aretz – Working Student
Arthur Aretz joined the Brandenburg Labs R&D team as a working student while studying at the Technical University of Ilmenau. His interests lie in audio technology, signal processing, and algorithm development, and he supports the team in research and development activities related to immersive audio and acoustic technologies. His bachelor’s thesis explored the fusion of unrelated room acoustics in augmented audio environments, focusing on algorithm development and perceptual evaluation. Outside of his academic work, he enjoys sound design, building modular synthesizers, and developing custom audio hardware.
Princess Zelda – Office Dog
Zelda is our office dog, and we absolutely adore her! She is not only a very well-behaved girl but can, according to Bundesverband Bürohund e.V., like other office dogs, help to reduce stress at the workplace and improve health and the connection between coworkers. She is an eight-year-old, naturally charismatic dog, born to exude warmth, shine, love, and be loved by her humans. She is named after Zelda from the classic action-adventure computer game, The Legend of Zelda. When she is not in the office, Zelda likes to walk in nature, greet and meet new people, and play with sticks. Moreover, she likes to stretch her long legs and take relaxing naps on the couch at home.
If you want to expand your skill set while working on technologies that shape the future of audio, consider joining our team. We offer an environment built on collaboration, technical curiosity, and continuous learning.