Morten Beck Jørgensen, managing partner at Novo Holdings, is one of the 100 leading corporate venturing professionals in our 2026 Powerlist.
Morten Beck Jørgensen, managing partner of Novo Holdings’ capital investments team since October 2016, has helped shape the group’s venture activity into one of the most influential forces in global life sciences investing, while operating outside the conventions of traditional corporate venture capital.
Backed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and led by chief executive Kasim Kutay over the past decade, Novo’s evergreen capital base enables an investment horizon and scale that most venture funds – and nearly all corporate venture units – cannot match. This structural advantage has become increasingly evident in more volatile market conditions.
Despite a challenging 2025, when total assets under management were affected by share price fluctuations in Novo Nordisk, Novo Holdings maintained an assertive investment pace into 2026. Jørgensen, who joined Novo in 2005 after nearly four years as assistant treasurer at Novo Nordisk, has overseen a strategy that leans into market dislocation rather than retreating from it.
Over the past year, Novo Ventures has concentrated on larger, later-stage financings, frequently acting as a stabilising anchor investor in a cooling biotech market. Investment activity has centred on areas of strategic importance to Novo Nordisk, including metabolic disease, obesity-related therapeutics and enabling technologies such as AI-driven drug discovery and quantum science. Geographically, the platform retains a global footprint across the US and Europe, with a growing presence in Asia, marked by the opening of an office in Mumbai.
Recent investments include Coultreon Biopharma, where Novo co-led a $125m series A round; Subra’s €40m series A to develop next-generation superconductors; Route 92 Medical’s $50m growth round; and Surya Hospitals in India. Alongside direct investments, the group has maintained limited partner commitments to funds such as 55N and the European Commission-backed Scaleup Europe Fund.
The broader organisation reflects Novo’s scale, with approximately $150bn in assets under management and distinct strategies spanning venture, growth and private equity. Complementary leadership across these areas allows Novo to deploy capital across the full company lifecycle.
Exit activity has remained robust, including the sales of KabaFusion to Nautic Partners and Clario to Thermo Fisher Scientific, following a strong prior year of disposals.
Earlier iterations of the venture platform were more regionally focused and diversified across stages. Today, Novo resembles a global crossover investor, writing sizeable cheques into competitive syndicates while supporting earlier-stage innovation.
The challenge ahead will be managing this growing influence. As Novo Nordisk’s core business continues to expand, particularly in obesity therapeutics, expectations of its venture arm as a source of innovation, strategic alignment and financial performance are set to rise further.
The GCV 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.
Here’s a snapshot of their recent deals:
