TWIGA Sun Fruits GmbH
The TWIGA Sun Fruits GmbH was founded on June 29, 2021, by DI Dr. techn. Daniel Neyer, MSc and Kerstin Wolf, who each hold 50% of the shares. Daniel Neyer serves as the managing partner. He holds a doctorate in renewable energy systems engineering, is the founder of Neyer Brainworks GmbH, and has extensive expertise in solar energy systems, building technology, and international R&D projects. Kerstin Wolf is a business economist with nearly 20 years of experience in the automotive and medical technology industries; a development cooperation assignment in Uganda was a key inspiration for founding TWIGA.
The operational team includes, among others, Sabrina Platzer (finance, export/import, sales), Anna Wieser (marketing & sales), Bianca Fetzel (marketing & social media), Florian Gritzer and Manuel Ostheimer (technical R&D and optimization of production processes), as well as Robert Moosbrugger (impact management, funding, strategic development). TWIGA is further supported by a broad network of experts in the fields of marketing, food technology, energy efficiency, agricultural technology, and international project development (including MCI, Makerere University, Energetic Solutions, and the IEA network).
Kerstin Wolf & DI Dr. techn. Daniel Neyer, MSc
TWIGA Sun Fruits GmbH
Kerstin is a business economist and worked as a purchasing manager in large corporations for 20 years. In 2019, she decided to take a sabbatical to work as a volunteer consultant for Managers Without Borders in Uganda. Her assignment was in the solar sector with All in Trade. A trusting relationship quickly developed with the two founders, Muhammed and Hakim. She is fascinated by the potential of decentralized solar energy to develop the country's economy. Together with All in Trade, she launched the "Solar Powered Fruit Drying" project, which specifically involves the use of solar thermal energy to generate heat for the drying ovens. By involving All in Trade in a larger research project in the field of solar heating and cooling in Africa, the team gains another comrade-in-arms: Daniel Neyer. He is passionate about the implementation of solar heat in the agro-food sector and is the perfect fit for the team because of his technical and scientific expertise.
Daniel is the founder and managing director of Neyer Brainworks GmbH. He is also a senior researcher in the Energy Efficient Construction department at the University of Innsbruck and a lecturer at various Austrian universities. He is a graduate engineer with degrees in ecoenergy engineering and domotronics and a PhD in technical sciences. His dissertation is on the evaluation and component development of the latest generation solar heating and cooling systems.
His long professional experience is reflected in many successful projects in R&D and in his various consulting activities. He is involved in several national and international projects and is an Austrian expert of the IEA SHC program. His main fields of activity are numerical simulations in buildings and building services, component and system development and optimization, and evaluation and benchmarking of renewable heating and cooling systems.
Together, Kerstin and Daniel found TWIGA Sun Fruits GmbH in May 2021.
Sabrina Platzer
Executive Assistant
Sabrina Platzer is an Executive Assistant with a commercial background and over ten years of experience in international sales. She combines organizational talent with strategic thinking and has a deep understanding of markets and sales processes.
In her central liaison role, she independently manages sales and accounting and supports the executive team efficiently in day-to-day operations as well as strategic decisions.
Robert Moosbrugger (Mag., MSc, MSc)
Impact Manager
Robert Moosbrugger is Impact Manager at NB and has more than 20 years of international experience in development cooperation. As a doctoral candidate at the University of Burgos (Spain), he is conducting research on hybrid business models. In his role as Impact Manager, he supports strategic corporate development, analyzes the socio-economic impact of the company, develops funding applications, and is responsible for managing funding.
Manuel Ostheimer (BSc, MSc, MA)
Senior Project Engineer
Manuel Ostheimer (MSc, MA, BSc) has been with Neyer Brainworks since its founding. As an expert in complex technical challenges, he is actively involved in the further development of all technical areas and significantly drives the optimization of the Farm2Fork system solution through his extensive research expertise.
His interdisciplinary background combines practical, hands-on experience as an electrical installation technician with academic degrees in Mechatronics, Domotronics, and European Energy Business, as well as qualifications in building services engineering and energy management (ISO 50001).
Since 2014, he has been conducting research at the University of Innsbruck in the Unit for Energy Efficient Buildings, focusing on the synergistic coupling of experimental laboratory measurements with building and system simulations. The empirical validation of theoretical models ensures a direct transfer of knowledge into the applied system optimization of the company.
Florian Gritzer (DI (FH), MSc, MA)
Innovation Manager
Florian Gritzer (DI (FH), MSc, MA) holds master's degrees in European Energy Economics, Domotronics and Technical Production Management. His main areas of expertise include numerical building and system simulation, energy efficiency, sustainable thermal and electrical energy systems, heat pumps, energy storage and solar heating and cooling, as well as the measurement and analysis of various thermal and electrical energy systems.
He contributes his technical R&D expertise to the company and is responsible for the further development and optimization of production.
Bianca Fetzel
Marketing & Events Manager
Bianca Fetzel is a trained graphic designer with experience in retail and event management. As the founder and president of the ArtInk Club Academy association, she has successfully organized numerous trade fairs, social projects, and charity events.
Within the company, she manages marketing, social media, and sales, ensuring all projects are executed efficiently and presented professionally with creativity and strategic insight.
Anna-Maria Wieser
Sales & Events Manager
Anna-Maria Wieser has many years of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry. She is a trained hotel management professional and travel agent. As a result, she has a strong understanding of both the day-to-day operations of a business and the market itself.
She has worked in marketing and sales and knows how to successfully sell offers. In addition, she has a strong network within the industry.
Uganda
Henry Ssentongo
Plant Manager
Henry Ssentongo is responsible for the overall organization and management of our production site. He plans and optimizes operations, ensures compliance with quality and safety standards, and leads the production team. In doing so, he ensures that processes are carried out efficiently, on schedule, and economically.
Our Ugandan Organic Farmers
Dr. Julia Kigozi
Makerere University Kampala
It is very important for us to embed the project in a scientific context so that the knowledge of solar energy technology with state-of-the-art food processing technology can be applied as widely as possible to agro-food processing in Uganda. Agro-industrialization is a key theme in the government's National Development Plan. Julia is a lecturer at the prestigious Makerere University in Kampala, teaching in the Department of Agricultural Engineering. She also leads hands-on projects to develop the agro-processing industry to meet quantity and quality standards for the local and export markets. Julia will also coordinate the local fabrication of the stainless steel equipment, such as the manufacturing tables, sinks and storage racks.
