Top 50 Rising Stars 2022 (in alphabetical order by CVC unit): Peter Ortez, senior associate, Munich Re Ventures
Peter Ortez is a senior associate at Munich Re Ventures (MRV), the US-based corporate venture capital (CVC) arm of Germany-headquartered reinsurance group Munich Re.
Jacqueline LeSage, managing director of MRV, said of Ortez: “Peter joined Munich Re Ventures over the summer of 2019 to focus on the deeptech space and is now a part of our teams investing in climatetech and the future of transportation, including the space economy.
“Although he joined right out of business school, he already had experience as an intern at another prominent VC firm. With that experience, he was able to dive right into developing investment theses, building a network, and sourcing deals.
“Thanks to Peter’s degree in aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical engineering from MIT and his four years at an aerospace consulting firm prior to business school, Peter quickly became the subject matter expert on the team as he led the efforts in developing our space economy thesis.
“His range is extraordinary, from being able to present in front of Munich Re senior leadership, to engaging with the startups and other investors, to being a stellar modeller. He has become a critical part of our deal teams and continues to be a valued thought partner for all.”
Regarding what drew him to corporate venturing, Ortez said: “I have always been interested in an approach to VC that provides more than just financial resources to startups.
“CVCs serve an important role in the startup ecosystem by bringing subject-matter expertise, early corporate engagement and long-term partnerships that can both de-risk the startup’s roadmap and add value directly to the parent.
“This approach to investing, when executed properly, can create strong outcomes that are effectively greater than the sum of their parts.”
