Leopold von Waldthausen
| Leopold von Waldthausen | |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, software executive |
|---|---|
| Known for | Co-founder and CEO of Zeit AI |
| Education | University of Oxford (computer science) |
Leopold von Waldthausen is a German entrepreneur and software executive. He is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Zeit AI, an enterprise software company that enables organisations to query their databases and internal systems using natural language. The company participated in Y Combinator's Summer 2024 batch.[1]
Career
Von Waldthausen studied computer science at the University of Oxford. Prior to founding Zeit AI, he worked at Palantir Technologies, where he gained experience in large-scale data analytics and enterprise software. He has founded at least two companies over the course of his career.
Before Zeit AI, von Waldthausen was involved with weview, a Munich-based startup that offered visual product reviews. The company gained attention in the German startup scene and ran a pilot project with MediaMarktSaturn in 2018, integrating video-based product reviews into the retailer's online shop.
Von Waldthausen co-founded Zeit AI with the goal of making enterprise data accessible through natural-language queries. The company's platform connects to an organisation's existing databases and systems, allowing users to retrieve and analyse information by typing or speaking queries in plain language rather than writing structured database queries or navigating complex software interfaces. According to the company, clients include financial consultancies and other enterprises that rely heavily on spreadsheet-based workflows. For example, the financial consultancy RISE uses Zeit AI to access and analyse expenses across its organisation.[2]
Zeit AI was accepted into Y Combinator's Summer 2024 cohort. The company's client roster, as displayed on its website, includes firms such as Jetfly, Kolbenschmidt, Stern Stewart, Raiffeisen, and Swiss Group, suggesting a focus on European enterprise customers across sectors including aviation, agriculture, finance, and manufacturing.
A September 2025 article in Business Insider Germany profiled the company, noting von Waldthausen's earlier experience attending Y Combinator demo days roughly a decade before Zeit AI's own participation in the programme, as well as his background at Palantir.
Von Waldthausen is based in London, United Kingdom.
References
- ↑ "Zeit AI – Y Combinator". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Zeit AI". 'Zeit AI}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.