Soren Carlsen is managing partner of Novo Ventures and Novo Seeds, corporate venturing units of Denmark-based drugs company Novo. In 2000, he establish Novo’s venture activities. Carlsen is on the board of PTC Therapeutics and Santaris Pharma, and was previously a board member at 7TM Pharma and Arpida.

In 1994, he was made head of Novo Nordisk’s enzyme business as corporate vice-president and chief science officer, responsible for 400 scientists in Denmark, US, Japan and China. In 1991, he established Novozymes Biotech, a research-based company focusing on the development of enzymes and other bioindustrial products. He was awarded the Danish chemistry prize in 1988.

He was appointed vice-president of biotechnology at Novo Nordisk in 1986. Carlsen joined Novo Nordisk as a research scientist in 1979.