The top 50: Martin Tschopp, CEO, Prosus Ventures

Martin Tschopp was named Prosus Ventures chief executive officer in 2020, after nearly four years as the group’s chief operating officer. Prosus Ventures is the venture investing arm of Prosus, a global consumer internet group and one of the largest technology investors in the world. Operating in more than 90 countries, Prosus builds leading companies that empower people and enrich communities.

Talking to Global Corporate Venturing last year, Tschopp said: “The company has built a strong, global footprint and in the year ahead and beyond, Prosus Ventures will ensure we have a continuous flow of opportunities in the wings. The key is that we partner with businesses that are solving big societal needs with technology, in a uniquely local way. We think about where we can really make an impact and zero in on sectors of the economy where technology can lead to meaningful change in consumer behaviour and economics.”

Prosus Ventures provides a unique blend of venture capital and operating company, combining the VC model of investing with deep operational experience in India, SEA, Americas and MENA. Over the course of the past year, Prosus Ventures has invested in a wide range of companies, sectors and geographies. It recently led a series A investment in Thndr, a digital investment platform based in Egypt and investment in ElasticRun, a B2B ecommerce platform enabling access to millions of rural Indian Kirana shops, and also participated in 99minutos’ series C. The team is actively investing in burgeoning sectors such as logistics, fintech & blockchain, agtech & sustainability.

Prior to Prosus Ventures, Tschopp was CEO of Kiva.org, a non-profit organisation offering access to capital to underserved communities. Before that, he spent many years as an operator leading e-commerce businesses ranging in size from small classifieds startups to large marketplaces such as eBay Germany.

Tschopp began his professional career as a strategy consultant. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and an MBA from INSEAD.