AI in operations for hardware companies looks very different from AI in software, especially after a bankruptcy.

Eliott Wertheimer is the CEO of VanMoof, the iconic European e-bike brand rebuilding after bankruptcy.

In this episode of Business AI Explained, we explore AI in operations for hardware companies and what it takes to rebuild trust, reliability, and economics in a physical product business.

We cover:

• Why VanMoof’s brand survived bankruptcy
• The economics that killed VanMoof 1.0 (low margins, returns, D2C)
• Rebuilding trust through over-delivery, not marketing promises
• Where AI actually fits in hardware companies (support, supply chain, maintenance)
• Why AI should be an operational tool, not a product feature
• Why brand and design matter more as hardware gets easier to build

This episode is for founders, operators, and product leaders working on hardware, consumer brands, or complex operations and trying to apply AI without breaking trust.

Episode length: ~40 minutes

👤 ABOUT THE GUEST

Eliott Wertheimer

CEO of VanMoof

Former McLaren (Lavoie), founder of Fuero Systems

Aerospace engineer turned hardware operator

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliott-wertheimer-6910a1b6/

→ Company: https://www.vanmoof.com/

🔗 WORK WITH VLAD

If you’re implementing AI in your operations and want hands-on help building real workflows:

👉 https://www.elementsagents.com/

🔔 SUBSCRIBE

→ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladeziegler/

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Watch the full video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aiwithvlad

New episodes every Tuesday.