Benedikt Köppel

Chief Innovation Officer, SVP and Head of Internal AI at Tango | Former Founder & CEO of Locatee

Professional Background

I'm a founder, former CEO/CTO and AI transformation leader with over a decade of experience scaling enterprise SaaS businesses. As the founder of Locatee (where I served as CTO and later CEO), I built the company from a raw idea to a B2B SaaS product used by Fortune 500 companies, scaled the team to 70 employees, and achieved a successful exit to Tango in 2024.

Currently serving as Chief Innovation Officer, SVP and Head of Internal AI at Tango, I lead the company-wide AI transformation across all eight functions: running the AI Lab, central enablement, and the function-level AI transformation plans that re-architect how a SaaS company actually works. I focus on turning AI from pilots into measured impact, from AI coding agents in engineering to company-wide AI training with over 85% weekly adoption.

With a strong balance of business and technical understanding, I can effectively communicate with engineers, GTM teams, founders, board members, investors, and shareholders. I excel at implementing lightweight processes that foster collaboration without creating bureaucracy.

Career Journey

Learn about my professional journey from founding Locatee to leading the AI transformation at Tango.

Skills & Expertise

Explore my technical expertise, leadership skills, and core competencies in founding and scaling companies.

Community & Interests

Discover my community involvement, independent projects, open-source contributions, and personal interests.

Experience Highlights

Founding & Scaling

Founded and built Locatee from idea to a 70-person SaaS business, then led it through acquisition by Tango in 2024.

Cross-functional Leadership

Bridged conversations between technical teams, GTM, C-level and board, creating alignment and effective collaboration.

Technical Strategy

Developed and executed technical strategies that align with business objectives and drive sustainable growth.

Community Involvement

In 2005, I founded the robotics association Helveticrobot, where high school students learn mechanics, electronics, software development, and other STEM subjects. The team has won the robotics world championship title in 2011 and 2015.

Advisory

I occasionally offer advisory services to select startups and organizations. If you're facing challenges in scaling your technical organization, aligning teams, or navigating growth transitions, feel free to reach out.