Sven Harmsen, director external ventures at Nova by Saint-Gobain, is one of our top 50 Emerging Leaders in corporate venturing for 2025.
“Being in corporate venturing is like being a matchmaker between two different worlds,” says Sven Harmsen. “On one hand, you have the corporate world with the expertise, experience and specific technologies. On the other hand, you have the startups who offer innovative ideas but lack the experience or financial capacity to move their technologies forward. Through my work, I am able to join the two to create a lot of value for everyone.”
Harmsen’s career spans more than 30 years working in research, medicinal chemistry, marketing, business development and corporate venturing for companies such as Bayer, 4SC, BASF and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt. Today, he is the director for external ventures for Nova by Saint-Gobain, the corporate venture arm of Saint-Gobain.
“I have been in corporate venturing for 13 years and I simply love to work with all the crazy ideas entrepreneurs can come up with. The startups are very creative and flexible, but also need some support in how to get organised and how to build value in their company.”
“I have been in corporate venturing for 13 years and I simply love to work with all the crazy ideas entrepreneurs can come up with”
The Nova team has about 15 people worldwide, with Harmsen leading the North America team. Together, they look at global investments in areas such as technology for construction, industrial energy transition, digital connectivity, transportation electrification and circular economy. All investments must, however, have a link to sustainability.
They focus on seed stage and series A investments, with a typical ticket size between $300,000 to $1m.
“We like to develop partnerships with our portfolio companies early on,” says Harmsen. A deal that stands out for Harmsen is Nova’s investment in Okibo.
This investment aligns with Saint-Gobain’s products and the growing need for construction productivity solutions amid labour shortages. “It is the perfect combination.”
See the full list of Emerging Leaders 2025 here.
