Stefan Gabriel, managing director and CEO of Hitachi Ventures, is one of the 100 leading corporate venturing professionals in our 2024 Powerlist.
CVC veteran Stefan Gabriel set up Hitachi Ventures (HVG) in 2019. Since then, the unit has been going from strength to strength.
“Only five years ago, we started with the conviction that strategic corporate venture capital can achieve both value-add and financial returns, and it has worked out,” he says. “The Hitachi Ventures portfolio has grown to 32 startups, with more than 60% performing exceptionally or good, and growing at least 50% year-on-year, while demonstrating vast potential for collaboration with Hitachi.”
HVG focuses on green, digital and social transformation, with a particular interest in generative AI, not just in its application across multiple industries, but in some of the sustainability challenges it raises.
We started with the conviction that strategic corporate venture capital can achieve both value-add and financial returns, and it has worked out.
“We have invested into applications of generative AI in healthcare, pharma, engineering and industrial automation. The vast adoption of generative AI also brings new challenges for the resilience and energy footprint of data centres – we also look for viable solutions to this in energy and carbon capture technologies, which are pivotal in driving the green industry transformation.”
The unit aims to deepen its involvement in clean energy, green mobility and next-generation industrial automation, and seeks to invest in supply chain resiliency and novel manufacturing in response to onshoring trends caused by geopolitical shifts.
“Embrace a balanced approach – valuing due diligence and swift execution alike – and always create a fit with corporate strategies,” says Gabriel. “Cultivate strong relationships with startups and long-term investors and peers to build a resilient, future-proof portfolio. And always learn from top CVCs.”
Gabriel’s background in innovation is extensive, having led 3M New Ventures from its founding in 2008 until 2015, when he began advising various Fortune 500 companies on VC and CVC.
The Global Corporate Venturing Powerlist represents the 100
individuals spearheading the future of the corporate venturing industry.
These individuals excel in terms of their venturing approach and structure, number and quality of portfolio companies and in their contributions to the corporate venturing profession.
