Niels Fehre, head of corporate investment management at Schaeffler, is one of our top 50 Rising Stars in corporate venturing for 2025.
Niels Fehre set up the corporate venturing function at German industrial company Schaeffler in 2021, when it was looking at ways to explore markets beyond its core automotive industry. While Schaeffler’s business as a global provider of bearings and components for the automotive and other industrial sectors is still showing steady financial performance, the company is keen not be left behind as its customers evolve.
“The automotive industry needs to transform and we would like to try to sell our competencies in new areas. We need to find new markets beyond automotive and that is where the CVC can help,” says Fehre.
One area of interest is the humanoid robotic sector, where Schaeffler made an investment in Agility Robotics, the US-based startup, in November. The same types of bearings and actuators that go into cars can also be used for robots, and Fehre is hoping that the deal with Agility can help it understand and get access to this new market.
“We are also looking into batteries, hydrogen and energy solutions,” says Fehre. Supply chain, factory automation and industrial AI are also on his radar.
“I am good at financial modelling, coming from my analyst background. I try to analyse everything.”
Fehre has made around half a dozen investments in a number of VC funds, as well as seven direct investments. He invests in all stages from seed to later-stage deals, as long as the investment has an interesting and relevant strategic rationale. Investing from the corporate balance sheet means he can do larger ad hoc deals if they arise and as a former investment banker, he is not afraid of bigger deals.
Fehre says his background in banking comes in handy in the CVC role, especially in helping remain extremely financially disciplined in the investments. “I am good at financial modelling, coming from my analyst background,” he says. “I try to analyse everything.”
See the full list of Rising Stars 2025 here.
