(interviewed in 2025)

Dagmar Möbius

Rainer Gläß is not about to stop working. The entrepreneur from Vogtland in Saxony made it to the stock market with a checkout software - today, he is advancing a new AI start-up in Palo Alto. While others at the age of 66 are retiring, he is investing millions - in the future of business software and in renovating the facilities on the Fichtelberg mountain. An East German success story with local roots, a vision and an unwavering will to shape the future.

Technology or medicine? These were the two options Rainer Gläß had after graduating from school in Schöneck in Vogtland. In 1979, the 20-year-old began studying information technology at TUD. “I was interested in the subject matter,” he says. “It was a technology degree program and hardly known at the time.“ His specialization in psychoacoustics is mainly known to insiders. ”At the time, it focused on speech recognition. How does our brain understand language? How is language coded? It's a very exciting story,“ Rainer Gläß summarizes. Looking back, it sounds pretty ahead of its time.  ”I was,“ confirms the information technology engineer. ”Today, we have speech recognition in our mobile devices and understand natural language without anyone thinking about how complicated it actually is."

Loads of seminars with luminaries

Rainer Gläß's seminar group comprised 20 students. “Compared to today, the program was more like at school,” he says. "We had lectures, but we also had a lot of seminar work. And we had great professors, for instance in electrical engineering. We were taught by Professor Klaus Lunze, a very famous man, during our undergraduate studies. That was very impressive.“ The fact that studying technology was also politicized was part of it. ”That's how it was." It's a long time ago.

Entering the music industry

After graduating in 1984, Rainer Gläß returned to his home in Vogtland and worked at the VEB Kombinat Musikinstrumente in Klingenthal. In the area where musical instruments have been manufactured for 350 years, the graduate engineer worked on software and acoustic issues. Rainer Gläß is not aware whether any of this can still be seen today, as his field of work was more part of the invisible superstructure of the former GDR state company. From today's perspective, it was a kind of analysis platform. The Markneukirchen Musical Instrument Museum may provide some clues, showcasing more than 4,000 instruments.

Freelancer and ski instructor

Even before reunification, Rainer Gläß decided to work as a freelance software developer. As this didn't really exist in the GDR, he needed official credentials - as a ski instructor. “That's how I got by,” he laughs. Just after the fall of the Berlin wall, he moved to the Allgäu region, where he spent a season teaching people on vacation how to ski. He recently received a souvenir photo from former students when he was in Oberwiesenthal.

First business along with a neighbor

Rainer Gläß met his neighbor Stephan Kronmüller - a computer scientist like him - by chance. In 1990, the two men founded their joint company GK Datensysteme. Rainer Gläß recalls the arduous initial work: “We sat at the computer all the time and worked on the products.” In their case, it was software for the retail sector. The first ten years were pretty difficult. Step by step, the two-men company developed into a professional system. In 2008, the company changed its name to GK Software and went public. An East German success story. Rainer Gläß has been named Entrepreneur of the Year several times, he can't say offhand how often. He fondly remembers the Entrepreneur of the Year award in Frankfurt am Main in 2010: “That was something special because usually, they don't honor East German entrepreneurs there.” Just as being mentioned in the same sentence as Claus Hipp, Dirk Roßmann, Thomas Riedel and Robert Stöcklinger in the manager magazine. GK Software was honored for its “willingness to develop the location and its commitment to the Vogtland region.”

Selling the company and founding a new one in Silicon Valley

Two years ago, Rainer Gläß sold his GK Software company to the Fujitsu technology group for millions. But retiring was not an option for him. Instead, he founded Newwork Software, a company in Silicon Valley, California, and developed a new business software. As he talks about this, he sits in his office in Schöneck, also known as the balcony of the Vogtland, enjoying his view of the forest. The decision on the location for the new company is no shift away from his down-to-earth roots. "There are lots of great people working energetically and successfully in Silicon Valley. We want to take on that challenge, which is why we are there," explains the software millionaire. The mood on the American capital market also played a role. Founded in 2023, Newwork is growing dynamically: Meanwhile, around 100 employees are working on the new software at locations in Palo Alto, Berlin, Schöneck, and Brașov, Romania. The number is meant to double by the end of 2025. Rainer Gläß holds the entrepreneurial reins from his home town of Schöneck, where he lives with his family - with the attitude of a founder who operates globally but is still deeply connected to his homeland.

The AI ERP

That's the claim for the new software. Why? “The world has changed,” he says. With Newwork, Rainer Gläß has founded a company that is rethinking Enterprise-Resource-Planning (ERP) software from the ground up – based on artificial intelligence. “AI opens up a whole new dimension,” Gläß says. “It will fundamentally change the way we work, and we want to play an active role in shaping this change.” Unlike traditional systems, Newwork does not rely on rigid processes, but on intelligent, self-learning work flows. Their objective: business software that responds in real time, continuously adapts, and creates new freedom. “We don't develop for days gone by, but rather for what will really drive companies forward tomorrow,” Gläß says.

They want to build their products step by step. They got their first customer this year. “We don't shout it from the rooftops and hope that someone will call,” Gläß laughs. Employees from more than ten countries work for Newwork Software, including around 30 percent who are TUD alumni or people from Saxony. “Excellent and hard-working people with a high level of expertise,” he praises, delighted that he has been able to recruit top talent from the field of AI. Job applications from skilled professionals are still welcome. Rainer Gläß is looking for people who “enjoy creating great things.” He knows that it's not just an opportunity, but also a lot of work with numerous challenges.

Fundamental approach

Rainer Gläß still benefits from the approach he internalized during his studies: "Solving things comprehensively and fundamentally, not just seeing the surface. This basic principle cannot be taken for granted today," says the 66-year-old. He keeps in touch with his university, even though his last visit to Dresden was five years ago. He is pleased when information technology, which is less visible than other sectors, is given attention. The software entrepreneur does not have a great sense of mission. He prefers to concentrate on his work and his commitment to his home region.

With heart and finances for winter sports in Saxony

His support for winter sports in Saxony is a good example of this commitment. Rainer Gläß has had a close relationship with the Ore Mountains since his youth - as a passionate skier and a staunch supporter of his home region. In 2021, he took over the Oberwiesenthal lift company, and later on the traditional cable car and the Fichtelberghaus hotel. “The Fichtelberg mountain has always been a special place for me,” says Gläß. “I gave ski courses here when I was a young man. Now, it is a matter of personal concern for me to maintain this valuable infrastructure and make it fit for the future.” He is investing millions in the modernization of the facilities and is committed to ensuring that the region remains an appealing winter sports destination for future generations.

Contact:
Rainer Gläß

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rainer-glaess-496617