Christoph Sommer is leaving his role in innovation at German utilities provider NEW, where he oversaw the group's venture clienting activity.

Christoph Sommer, photo courtesy of LinkedIn

Christoph Sommer said he is leaving his role as innovation manager at the German utilities company NEW, in which he was involved with its venture clienting and startup partnerships.

He has been at the company for just under four years, joining in July 2021. His role includes tracking innovation, scouting for new technology and incubating startups across the group.

In 2023, Sommer launched the venture clienting unit NEW SPARK, which targeted energy and water technology startups, with an emphasis on sustainability improvements. It fostered partnerships between the startups and some of the group’s business units, including grid, water, renewables and public transport.

Before NEW, he worked for NRW.Global Business, which supports foreign companies investing in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany.

Stephen Hurford

Stephen Hurford is a junior reporter for Global Corporate Venturing.