OUR IDENTITY
fluidXlab brings science, engineering, and digital intelligence together to make complex fluid behavior measurable, reproducible, and actionable. As part of the HOT Energy Group and located at the Energy Research Center of Lower Saxony, we operate at the intersection of research excellence and industrial reality.
Our interdisciplinary team — spanning petroleum engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, software, and physics — designs high-pressure experimental systems and data workflows that turn uncertainty into clarity for energy projects.
CEO & Co-Founder
Diethard Kratzer is a petroleum engineer, mentor, and entrepreneur with more than 35 years of experience in the E&P services industry. He leads the HOT Energy Group, a trusted advisor and leading provider of fully integrated reservoir studies for oil and gas field (re-)development, underground gas storage (UGS) development and optimization, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and geothermal energy applications.
CEO & Co-Founder
Leonhard Ganzer is Professor of Reservoir Engineering and Head of the Institute of Subsurface Energy Systems at Technical University Clausthal, Germany, with extensive experience in leading R&D projects.
CTO
Timur Zhainakov leads the technical vision and product architecture, translating market needs into scalable engineering and platform solutions that support fluidXlab’s long-term growth.
COO
Simon Knoll, as COO, drives operational planning, internal processes and execution to keep development, resources and timelines aligned across the organization.
Authorized Representative
Laura Kratzer is Authorized Signatory and responsible for all legal matters at fluidXlab and the HOT Energy Group. With a background in business administration and international business law, she supports the group’s international energy projects and corporate activities with legal and strategic expertise.
Co-Founder
Jonas Wegner is Co-Founder of fluidXlab and, as former CTO, played a key role in building and shaping the company.
HOT Energy Group is an independent subsurface energy consultancy with decades of international experience in integrated reservoir engineering and field development. The company supports operators and asset teams across the full lifecycle of subsurface projects — from early-stage screening and concept selection to field optimization and redevelopment.
HOT combines strong technical expertise with practical field insight to deliver high-impact reservoir studies, uncertainty-based decision support, and integrated development strategies. Its experience spans oil and gas field development, underground gas storage (UGS), carbon capture and storage (CCS), and geothermal energy systems.
In addition, HOT is committed to knowledge transfer and capability building. Through targeted training programs, mentoring, and hands-on project collaboration, the company supports the development of technical talent and strengthens in-house subsurface expertise within client organizations.
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