Today, on Coffee With a Founder Beck Bamberger sits down with Alexander Krüger, co-founder and CEO of United Manufacturing Hub (UMH), an open-source industrial data platform helping manufacturers prepare their factories for AI and automation. Joining from Germany—with water in hand instead of coffee—Alexander shares how his path through engineering and factory digitalization led him to build technology for one of the world’s most established industries. Together, Beck and Alexander explore the realities of modernizing legacy factories, earning trust on the factory floor, and turning open-source technology into a scalable business. Alexander also shares why curiosity can matter more than age, how AI is reshaping the balance between technical expertise and people skills, and why showing up in person remains essential—even in an increasingly digital world. Tune in for a practical conversation about manufacturing, entrepreneurship, relationships, and the infrastructure required to bring AI into the physical world.