The private equity firm FLEX Capital, which specializes in investments in software and technology companies in the German SME sector, is establishing Data and Artificial Intelligence as a central pillar of its operational work and strengthening this area with the appointment of Dr. Bernhard Langwallner as new Partner for Data and AI.
Over the past years, Langwallner built and led the Data and AI division at CHECK24, one of Germany’s largest digital companies, integrating it deeply into product development. He was responsible for founding and managing the company-wide hub for Artificial Intelligence, most recently known as AI Forge. With his appointment, FLEX Capital is strategically expanding its in-house expertise in Data and AI.
“Data has long been one of our core growth drivers, and Artificial Intelligence is the next logical step,” says Peter Waleczek, Managing Partner at FLEX Capital. “At CHECK24, Bernhard demonstrated how to turn data into scalable products and measurable results. This is exactly the expertise and execution power we now bring together to the software mid-market.”
From data-driven decisions to AI-powered innovation
In recent years, FLEX Capital has built strong capabilities in Data and Machine Learning and successfully implemented data-driven projects across its portfolio companies — from AI-based customer service optimization and machine learning–supported document processes to automated content generation and the setup of central data warehouses.
Building on these successes, FLEX is now taking the next step by putting Artificial Intelligence at the center of its operational value creation. Together with Bernhard Langwallner, the firm is transforming its operational approach — moving beyond process optimization toward developing new capabilities, business models, and product generations.
With its unique commercial fund structure, FLEX Capital is not only able to advise portfolio companies but also to support them operationally — an approach pursued by only a few private equity funds in this form.
“AI is not a theoretical topic for us, but a concrete value driver for mid-market companies,” explains Christoph Jost, Managing Partner at FLEX Capital. “Together with Bernhard, we will embed AI across all core value creation levers — from HR and Sales to M&A. Artificial Intelligence will become a fundamental part of how we work and how we develop our portfolio companies.”
Bernhard Langwallner: Building Data and AI excellence at CHECK24
Bernhard Langwallner brings more than 15 years of experience in technology, data analytics, and AI-driven product development. At CHECK24, he led the central Data and AI division for many years, where he and his team developed applications for Natural Language Processing, Generative AI, and Recommendation and Ranking Systems that are now used productively across numerous business units. Langwallner holds a PhD from the University of Oxford, where he specialized in numerical algorithms.
At FLEX Capital, he will continue to build and elevate the firm’s Data and AI team to a new level. His focus will be on advancing the use of AI both within FLEX and across its portfolio companies — deriving strategic insights from existing data and developing Generative AI applications. Collaboration with portfolio companies will range from joint concept development and co-creation to hands-on operational implementation by the FLEX AI team.
“What convinced me about FLEX was the opportunity to truly shape and build,” says Bernhard Langwallner. “With its clear focus on software companies and its operational mindset, I see enormous potential to leverage Data and AI in the mid-market to create real competitive advantages. At FLEX, I’m working with a team that combines passion and pragmatism to deliver real solutions — that makes all the difference for me.”
