Murat Oğuz Arcan, managing director of Sabanci Climate Ventures, is one of the 100 leading corporate venturing professionals in our 2025 Powerlist.

In 2023, Turkish investment holding company Sabanci Holding, established Sabanci Climate Ventures, a $200m corporate venture capital fund, appointing Murat Oğuz Arcan as its managing director. The fund focuses on clean energy and climate technologies in the US. Arcan took on the leadership role following a long tenure in the advanced materials sector in the Sabanci Group, bringing his industry experience into the investment initiative.

Sabanci Climate Ventures emphasises adopting best practices in the investment world. Arcan allocated 40% of the fund’s capital to fund-of-funds investments, engaging directly with a network of venture capital firms. In his first year, he held discussions with more than 80 funds and established partnerships with five. “Understanding how funds approach startups, make investment decisions and evaluate opportunities is extremely valuable for us,” says Arcan.

“Understanding how funds approach startups, make investment decisions and evaluate opportunities is extremely valuable for us.”

But, as a strategic investor, the CVC also seeks to partner with startups to deploy those technologies in Sabanci’s diverse businesses, which include banking, energy, cement, retail and manufacturing.

“We look at how we can work together with the startup and its investor base. If there is a manufacturing and industrial operation that needs to be done, or technology to be deployed, we are willing to go the extra mile, do that type of extra underwriting.”

In addition to hiring three investment professionals, Arcan consults two senior advisors from venture capital who help him get out of the corporate mindset and think like a venture capitalist. One of his advisors “keeps me away from my original thinking of how to invest, how to look at strategic value,” says Arcan. “He tells me, ‘forget all about that. Talk about how this company is going to make 20x.’ It is a totally different world.”

The CVC also does direct investments in the US and Europe. This year, it is focused on investing in Europe, given the turbulence in the US climate tech market. It has made 10 investments in hard-tech areas such as fusion and long-duration energy storage. It is now turning to more asset-light technologies such as virtual power plants to balance the portfolio.


The Global Corporate Venturing Powerlist represents the 100 individuals spearheading the future of the corporate venturing industry. 

These individuals excel in terms of their venturing approach and structure, number and quality of portfolio companies and in their contributions to the corporate venturing profession. 

See the full 2025 Powerlist here.