Scott Walbrun, principal, BMW i Ventures, is one of our rising stars in corporate venturing in 2023.
Scott Walbrun, a principal at BMW i Ventures, brings a wealth of experience from prior roles in technology, investment banking, automotive, private equity and deeptech startups to his role at BMW’s venture capital fund.
“I’ve always sought out environments where I could follow my curiosity, see the impact of my work, and collaborate with great people,” says Walbrun. “At BMW i Ventures, I learn something new every day, and I am constantly challenged to think differently about markets and technology.”
According to Kasper Sage, managing partner at BMW i Ventures, “Scott has been a standout performer since joining our firm as a senior associate a little over a year ago.”
“I’ve always sought out environments where I could follow my curiosity, see the impact of my work, and collaborate with great people.”
Some of the recent lead investments that Walbrun has made include electrochemical lithium refining company Mangrove Lithium and autonomous forklift provider Fox Robotics.
MacroFab, a cloud platform for electronics manufacturing; Lilac Solutions, a lithium extraction company; and Jetti Resources, a copper extraction company; are also among Walbrun’s initial company investments for the fund. In addition, he has supported more than ten follow-on investments for BMW i Ventures’ existing portfolio.
“Walbrun played a key role in defining our Fund II portfolio construction strategy,” Sage tells GCV, adding: “At this level of performance, I see a bright future ahead for Scott in venture capital.”
Walbrun holds five board observer positions, including at Fox Robotics, Bus.com, May Mobility, GaN Systems and GenXComm.
“The diverse board exposure I’ve gained since joining the fund has been a hallmark experience and learning opportunity for me,” he says. “I strive to enhance people recruitment, bring capital markets and business transaction expertise, and provide the perspective of the automotive customer.”
In addition, Walbrun supports several startup accelerator programmes across the country as a mentor and workshop leader, including at Argonne National Labs.
See the full list of Rising Stars 2023 here.
