Catharina van Delden

Co-Founder & CEO•UY

I build tech companies to tackle hard problems. As co-founder and CEO of Finches, I’m on a mission to make global supply chains resilient – starting with agricultural raw material sourcing. We’re building a platform that helps companies adapt to a world where volatility is the new normal. My startup career began at TU Munich, where I co-founded innosabi: a student project turned global leader in innovation management software. I scaled the company as CEO from student beginnings to international success, leading to our acquisition by France’s Questel Group. Alongside Finches, I serve on the Supervisory Board of Sto SE & Co. KGaA (thermal insulation, deep sustainability roots) and advise Deutsche Bank through their Southern Germany advisory board. I’ve written two books on open innovation - “Crowdsourced Innovation” and “Connect the Dots” - and speak regularly at conferences like DLD, Handelsblatt Innovation Summit, and hub.berlin. I’ve also spent 8+ years shaping national tech policy as a bitkom presidium member and helped launch the German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIND). Recognition includes “TU Munich Entrepreneur of Excellence” and the “Spark Female Founder Award” by McKinsey & Handelsblatt. Always building. Always curious. Always future-facing.