Luís Fábrica, investment manager at EDP Ventures, is one of our top 50 Rising Stars in corporate venturing for 2026.
Investing in the energy sector will never get boring, says Luís Fábrica. “Energy is an area where innovation will play a very big role in the future and there is still a long journey to go in terms of energy innovation, which makes working in this space particularly interesting,” he says.
The ability to participate in the full lifecycle of a company, from the early concepts to real-time scaling in the market, is one of the best parts of his job.
Like most corporate VC investors, Fábrica spends considerable time working with business units, explaining alternative approaches and encouraging colleagues to experiment with new solutions in operational environments. He sees this process as an intrinsic part of corporate venture work.
“Do not be afraid to share your own ideas, because in innovation there is not just one path, and with time you develop the sensibility and gut feeling to understand which companies can really achieve what they propose.”
While primarily focused on renewable energy and distributed energy assets technologies, Fábrica is excited to see the development in related segments such as automation and robotics – and the impact they will have on the energy infrastructure, industry, as well as solutions to meet the challenge of the energy demand that will be created by the expansion of AI-driven data centres.
“He is an excellent project manager, leading all administrative and regulatory processes for the local fund we manage. Beyond his professional skills, Luís is a constant source of support for the team,” says Rosario Cannata, principal at EDP Ventures.
Reflecting on his own transition into venture capital, Fábrica points to the importance of confidence and patience. Coming from a non-technical background into a highly specialised sector such as energy was initially overwhelming, but time and exposure helped him build understanding and intuition.
“Do not be afraid to share your own ideas, because in innovation there is not just one path, and with time you develop the sensibility and gut feeling to understand which companies can really achieve what they propose,” he says.
The Rising Stars are early-career corporate venture professionals who are making an outstanding contribution to their teams and the industry.
See the full list of Rising Stars 2026 here.
