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Dr. Bernhard Mohr, Managing Director, Evonik Venture Capital

Council Chair, International Venture Club

 

As the pace of change through technology and innovation accelerates, so does the complexity of building and investing in successful tech-enabled businesses. As such it is nothing short of “mission critical” to have a network of co-investors, and partners, who can add value to strategies, resources and activities. This holds true even for the very largest of corporations. By way of example take my own parent company Evonik: Partnerships, collaboration and what is now known as “open innovation” are essential for us to remain fit for the future and develop new leadership positions. Or put more simply: to grow our businesses, we need to share our knowledge.

 

This is why I am honoured to have been elected Chair of the International Venture Club, the collaborative platform of investors managed by Tech Tour. We add strategic value to companies and funds operating across multiple technologies, sectors, geographies and development stages. With my fellow Council members, we aim to support the Club Members’ strategic needs around funding, organisational set up, (co-)investments, portfolio value-creation and deal sourcing.

 

Seven years ago, the Club’s founding Members gathered in Portugal with a mission to make Europe a less-fragmented place for investors backing tech entrepreneurs. This is indeed an ambitious agenda which we can only achieve with clear values in mind.

 

One of the founding Council Members was the late Diogo Vasconcelos. His motto was “We are what we share”. This truly remains an inspiring mantra. We look forward to exchange insights, develop trust and relationships and share opportunities. All with new and existing Club Members from venture capital funds, investment corporations and government-backed groups.

 

Let us keep Diogo’s motto in mind when we gather again on the 21-22 September in Porto and later this year in London, Copenhagen, Maastricht, Rotterdam and Düsseldorf: “We are what we share”.