Cornel Amariei

Book Cornel Amariei for your event

Cornel Amariei is the founder and CEO of .lumen, a Cluj-Napoca-based deep-tech company developing AI-powered "glasses for the blind". The wearable technology is designed to replicate the function of a guide dog, applying many of the same technological principles used in autonomous vehicles to help people who are blind navigate independently.

Born in Bucharest in 1993, Cornel showed an early fascination with technology. He began programming at the age of seven and, at 15, founded Romania's first high-school robotics club. The club's team went on to win more than 70 international awards, providing an early indication of the combination of engineering, ambition and problem-solving that would shape his career.

Cornel later studied Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at Constructor University, formerly Jacobs University, in Bremen, Germany. It was during his studies that he first developed the concept that would eventually become the foundation for .lumen's glasses.

From automotive innovation to .lumen

Before establishing .lumen in 2020, Cornel Amariei worked at Continental Automotive, where he became Head of Innovation at just 23 years old. During his time there, he filed dozens of patented innovations and gained extensive experience turning advanced engineering concepts into practical technologies.

His decision to focus his energy on assistive technology is rooted in his own upbringing. Both of Cornel's parents live with locomotor disabilities, while his sister has an intellectual disability. Growing up in this environment gave him a close understanding of both the potential of technology and the gap that remains when innovation is developed without the needs of people with disabilities at its centre.

That experience became a driving force behind .lumen: creating sophisticated technology around a clear and deeply human problem.

AI that guides people through the world

The technology behind .lumen demonstrates how developments in artificial intelligence, computer vision and autonomous mobility can be applied far beyond vehicles. The glasses integrate six cameras and use real-time computer vision to calculate a safe walking path approximately 100 times every second.

Users are guided through directional haptic feedback, allowing the device to communicate where and how to move. Crucially, the system operates fully offline and does not depend on environments being mapped in advance.

For audiences, Cornel's work provides a concrete example of what human-centred AI can look like in practice. His story opens conversations around questions facing leaders, entrepreneurs and technology teams today: How do you identify problems worth solving? How can technologies developed for one industry create breakthroughs somewhere completely different? And how do you move from an ambitious engineering concept towards a product designed for real-world use?

Building and scaling deep tech

The journey of .lumen also gives Cornel Amariei a valuable perspective on the realities of building a deep-tech company and attracting international support for technically ambitious ideas.

In 2021, .lumen became the first Romanian startup to win European Innovation Council Accelerator funding, receiving approximately €9–9.7 million. The company subsequently raised further funding from investors including Catalyst Romania and Sweden's Tigrim Capital.

Its technology has continued to expand into new applications. In October 2025, .lumen secured an €11 million EU grant to extend its core technology into autonomous delivery robots. In January 2026, the company won a CES Innovation Award, becoming the first Romanian company to achieve this recognition. It also entered a global engineering and supply-chain partnership with Arrow Electronics to help scale production.

These milestones make Cornel's entrepreneurial journey especially relevant to organizations interested in innovation, AI, scaling technology and turning research and engineering into products capable of reaching an international market.

Recognition and a different view of innovation

Cornel Amariei's achievements have earned him international recognition from an early stage in his career. His distinctions include:

• Being among the first Romanians selected for Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe in its inaugural 2016 edition.
• Becoming the first Romanian named a JCI Ten Outstanding Young Person of the World in 2018.
• Becoming the first Romanian inducted into the Global Business Hall of Fame in 2021, alongside figures including Canva founder Melanie Perkins.

Behind the awards is a story about curiosity, persistence and a particular approach to innovation: starting with the people affected by a problem and then finding the technology capable of addressing it.

Book speaker Cornel Amariei for an event where AI, entrepreneurship, deep tech, accessibility or the future of innovation is on the agenda. Drawing on experiences ranging from childhood programming and award-winning robotics to automotive innovation and building .lumen, Cornel offers audiences a perspective grounded in both advanced engineering and personal purpose. His work shows how emerging technologies can move beyond impressive technical capabilities and become tools for solving tangible human challenges.