Emerging Leaders 2025: Sabeeha Islam, Munich Re Ventures

Sabeeha Islam is a key element of the success behind Munich Re Ventures’ portfolio development efforts. As one of the firm’s portfolio development leads, she plays a critical dual role – working to connect the venture team’s investments to the broader Munich Re organisation, while serving as a vital bridge to the outside world, forging strategic partnerships to help scale the startups in Munich Re Ventures’ climate and transportation portfolios.

“Part of my job is to be a subject matter expert in our focus areas such as climate and  transportation, but I also have to be thinking about how I can use that expertise to directly support the needs of our portfolio companies,” says Islam. This means maintaining a vast network – from industrial suppliers and project financiers to government agencies and utility providers. “I am essentially building a ‘village’ around each of our portfolio companies, making the right connections so they can access the full ecosystem of partners they need to scale.”

After starting her career in oil and gas M&A, she joined the corporate venture team at Munich Re in 2018, doing an early version of her current portfolio development role. She then joined a decarbonisation advisory group at Engie Impact for a few years, before returning to Munich Re Ventures to support the new climate and transportation portfolios the firm was building.

“That experience outside of venture really shaped my perspective. I realised that for climate tech to truly scale, we have to focus on creating material business cases, not just doing what is good for the planet,” she says. 

Her advice to other portfolio development professionals is to: “Build relationships at all levels – from the executive suite to the tactical team members. And do not be afraid to get your hands dirty, to really understand the nitty gritty of what your portfolio companies need. That is where you can add the most value.” 

See the full list of Emerging Leaders 2025 here.