Kristina Nikolaus is CEO and Co-Founder of OKAPI:Orbits GmbH, a space-tech start-up from Braunschweig, Germany. OKAPI:Orbits has developed a space traffic management software that, among other things, enables automated collision avoidance between satellites, rockets and more than 1 million space debris objects and the coordination of space activities. OKAPI’s goal is to ensure sustainable and efficient use of orbits.

Kristina is Russian-German and grew up in a peaceful small town in the Hunsrück region of Germany. After finishing school, she studied business administration and worked for several years at Daimler AG in the marketing and sales departments. During her studies, she spent time abroad in Siberia and Malaysia and took every opportunity to explore the world. She completed her master’s degree in technology-oriented management at the Technical University of Braunschweig, where she met her current co-founders. In parallel, she was responsible for internal reporting and management systems at Siemens AG.

In addition to her job, she is the state spokesperson of the Start-up Association and the initiator of the Equality Entrepreneurship Association for start-ups and equal opportunities in entrepreneurship.