Top 50 Rising Stars 2022 (in alphabetical order by CVC unit): Lukasz Garbowski, investment director, Btomorrow Ventures
Lukasz Garbowski is an investment director at Btomorrow Ventures, UK-listed tobacco products provider British American Tobacco (BAT)’s corporate venture capital (CVC) arm that targets seed to series A-stage deals globally.
Lisa Smith, managing director for Btomorrow Ventures, said of Garbowski: “Lukasz is deal phenomena. His energy, tenacity and creativity have enabled him to close an extraordinary 12 deals in under two years.
“It has been a joy to have him as a co-founder of Btomorrow Ventures: not only has he done a great job as the fund controller, but he has also followed his passion for the environment and created an ESG accelerator which is now processing its third cohort. He is an investor to watch – with one successful exit already achieved. I have no doubt that he will run his own fund one day!”
The unit’s portfolio includes cannabis vaping technology developer Cannopeia, focus-supporting gum producer Blockhead, smoke filter maker Philter and cannabinoid production technology company Trait.
Regarding why he entered CVC, Garbowski has said: “The magic resulting from power and experience of a corporate combined with innovation and agility of a startup. If set up correctly – and with a bit of luck – sky is the limit!
“With strategic rationale at heart, startups can benefit from growth acceleration and mentorship, corporates from fresh ideas and out-of-the-box thinking. And while in CVC, I love the opportunity to be a bridge between those two worlds and enable that magic happening.”
Prior to joining Btomorrow Ventures in late 2019, Garbowski served as head of commercial finance for BAT between 2018 and 2019, before which he had a two-year stint as head of commercial finance for Nicoventures and a previous four-year stint as senior M&A manager at BAT.
Fernando Moncada Rivera
Fernando Moncada Rivera is a reporter at Global Corporate Venturing and also host of the CVC Unplugged podcast.
