Appinio Strengthens Leadership Team: Johannes Braun Appointed New CTO

Hamburg, 3 June 2026: Appinio, the global market research platform, has a new Chief Technology Officer: Johannes Braun succeeds co-founder Kai Granass. 

With this appointment at the top of its technology leadership, Appinio takes the next step in its development. Appinio is currently active in over 190 markets, employs around 250 people from more than 40 nations, and counts over 3,000 companies worldwide among its clients. Johannes Braun will further develop the global tech platform and advance Appinio's AI-driven product strategy to the next level. Kai Granass, who has shaped Appinio's technology in a defining way over many years, will remain with the company in an advisory capacity and support the transition.

In Johannes Braun, Appinio gains a technology leader with extensive experience in building and scaling digital consumer platforms. At the ParshipMeet Group — which includes Lovoo, Parship, and ElitePartner — he progressed through virtually every role from software developer to Vice President of Engineering. In that position, he most recently led the consolidation of international brands onto a shared technology stack and the scaling of multiple teams in a project involving several hundred employees — a consolidation process that fundamentally and sustainably restructured the group's technological foundation. His technical expertise lies in mobile and platform technologies. Braun is also a co-founder of Alarm Dispatcher, an established provider of alerting and scheduling software for emergency services such as volunteer fire brigades, the coastguard, and the THW (German Federal Agency for Technical Relief).

Arne Wolter, CEO at Appinio:

With Johannes, we've found exactly the right technology leader: deeply technical, experienced in international scaling, and close enough to the product to build alongside the teams. I'm very much looking forward to working together.

With Johannes on board, we will develop Appinio into the world's leading platform for consumer insights — with AI at its core and a tech organisation that lives up to that ambition.

Johannes Braun, CTO at Appinio: 

Appinio brings together three things that rarely come at once: a truly differentiated product, a clear mission, and a great team. At the same time, market research is on the cusp of the most fundamental transformation in its history — driven by AI — and Appinio is in a position to shape that transformation rather than simply experience it. That's exactly where I want to start, together with the team.

My particular thanks go to Kai Granass: what he has built here technologically over the past years is impressive — and I'm glad to be building on that foundation and to be able to continue counting on his advice."

About Appinio

Appinio is an AI-powered market research platform that empowers businesses worldwide to make impactful, real-time decisions through actionable consumer insights. Operating in over 190 markets, Appinio serves more than 3,000 companies and employs over 250 people globally. Headquartered in Hamburg, Appinio merges state-of-the-art technology with scientifically rigorous research methods and robust data quality standards—making market research faster, more accessible, and more data-driven than ever before.