Team
Christian Eltzschig
co-CEO, co-Founder
Christian Eltzschig is a driving force behind ekxide. He kicked off his tech journey with an apprenticeship as an IT specialist and later delved into mathematics during his academic pursuits. Notably, at TU Berlin, he developed a 3D engine for visualizing mathematical constructs - a tangible blend of theory and practice.
Since 2017, Christian has been actively involved in the development of the open-source project iceoryx, contributing his expertise at ITK Engineering, Bosch, and Apex.AI. With a Rust-centric approach, he co-founded the ekxide IO GmbH to steer the evolution of iceoryx2, rewriting iceoryx from scratch in Rust alongside his co-founder, Mathias Kraus.
Christian's commitment extends beyond code; he firmly believes in the pivotal role of open-source in safety-critical applications. He sees Rust as a promising language for the future of such systems. Furthermore, Christian has made significant contributions to zero-copy inter-process communication innovations, evident in multiple patents he has been a part of.
Beyond the technical realm, Christian envisions the iceoryx project being applied in space and aiding robots in exploration - making the once-impossible, routine. He actively collaborates with the open-source community, fostering innovation and exploring synergies with other projects.
For Christian, iceoryx is more than a project - it's a conduit for collaborative exploration, pushing the boundaries of technology. With his unique blend of technical skills and a deep commitment to open source, Christian is a key player in ekxide's mission to redefine possibilities in safety-critical software.
Christian, also known as 'elfenpiff' on GitHub, is like an elf in the coding world - you could hear the piff of an elf - elfenpiff - every time he closes a pull request!
Mathias Kraus
co-CEO, co-Founder
Mathias studied Mechatronics at OTH Regensburg and is an experienced specialist in the field of embedded software development. His career started at IRS Systementwicklung GmbH, where he wrote his diploma thesis in 2007 and acquired a wide range of skills, from hardware and software development to project management. In software development, his responsibilities ranged from the development of GUIs and drivers down to the programming of µCs and the creation of IP cores for FPGAs. He acquired a profound knowledge of C, C++, LabVIEW and VHDL and implemented, among other things, a network stack tailored for low-latency and high-throughput applications. In hardware development, he created both digital and analog circuits and also brought the design to the circuit board. His first station at IRS is also where he got his nickname »Bob«, a funny anecdote he likes to share over a coffee.
Since 2017, Mathias has played a vital role in the iceoryx project, lending his expertise to ITK Engineering, Bosch, and Apex.AI. With the co-founding of the ekxide IO GmbH, he found a platform to continue advancing the next-gen iceoryx2 - a Rust project he's deeply involved in. Mathias is a rustacean at heart for years and firmly believes that Rust is crucial for the future of safety-critical systems, emphasizing also its ability to extract maximum performance in hardware/software collaborations.
His technical skills extend beyond software as Mathias embarked on the development of a high-frequency measurement device based on FPGA and Rust, leveraging the language's capability to optimize performance in hardware/software co-design.
Mathias has been a key contributor to inventions in zero-copy inter-process communication, substantiated by multiple patents. Aligned with his co-founder Christian, Mathias believes in the foundational role of open-source in safety-critical software.