A member of the top 100 from the Global Corporate Venturing Powerlist

As managing director, Bernhard Mohr was tasked with setting up Germany-based speciality chemicals company Evonik’s corporate venturing unit in 2012.

Evonik’s six investment managers under Mohr have since the creation of Evonik Venture Capital invested in eight companies, including Airborne Oil & Gas, Algal Scientific, Biosynthetic Technologies, FRX Polymers, JeNaCell, Nanocomp, Synoste and Wiivv, and committed to VC funds Pangaea Ventures, Emerald Technology Ventures. Most recently, Evonik expanded its corporate venturing activities into Asia and invested in the GRC SinoGreen Fund in China.

It is a role that has caught his CEO’s attention. Klaus Engel, CEO of Evonik Industries, said: “Partnering with innovative startup companies supplements Evonik’s approach of open innovation and creates excellent opportunities for accelerating the development of new businesses and opening up future growth fields.

“The entrepreneurialism and the pioneering spirit that prevails in young technology firms also helps us to stimulate our own innovation culture. Bernhard Mohr has done a great job in building an outstanding team and helping Evonik to understand and materialise the strong value of corporate venturing.”

Mohr joined Evonik having spent five and a half years working at Germany-based chemicals company BASF’s corporate venturing unit.

Before moving to BASF Venture Capital, Mohr held multiple roles across BASF. Between 1985 and 1996 he studied chemistry in Germany and the US and had postgraduate assignments in Japan, the US and France.

For his GCV Powerlist 2014 award, Mohr said: “For a corporate venturer, it is essential to precisely define the objective of the venture capital activities and establish a close link to the parent’s innovation programs and business interests. The goal of our innovation activities is to maintain and expand our high technological competence over the long run.”

Later he added: “Working closely with our business divisions and technology and market experts, we want to be an active and reliable partner for our venture investments and support their successful growth not only financially, but also with technical expertise and strategic insight.

“In 2015 we evaluted more than 500 companies and there is growing interest from our business segments to liaise with emerging technology leaders. In addition to our direct investments, our venturing activities lead every year to a significant number of joint development agreements and commercial partnerships between startup companies and Evonik.”

He is a council member of the International Venture Club and vice-chairman of the Invest Europe Corporate Venture Roundtable.