Marta Pinho joined Amadeus Ventures, the corporate venture capital (CVC) vehicle for Spain-based travel software and technology services provider Amadeus IT Group, in October 2018 as an investment manager.
Suzanna Chiu, head of Amadeus Ventures, said in her nomination of Pinho: “I strongly believe that Marta is high potential as a VC, has very strong analytical skills and, at the same time, the communications and soft skills to come with those. She is an all-rounder and I am very happy to have her in my team.”
Pinho’s responsibilities include sourcing new investment opportunities and portfolio management, leveraging her five-year experience as an investment manager at Portugal Ventures from 2008 and three-year stints managing M&A projects at daily deals platform operator Global Savings Group and online car advertising platform provider AutoScout 24.
Pinho has closed a deal on behalf of Amadeus Ventures in June 2019 for post-booking optimisation tool provider Volantio and manages three portfolio companies: data marketplace operator Dawex, vacation rental property distribution manager BookingPal and geolocation ranking platform Avuxi.
Regarding her CVC role, Pinho said: “Having worked in an institutional VC before, investing in early-stage companies in areas such as digital, energy and life sciences, the chance to move to a CVC focused on the travel industry was particularly interesting.
“The main reasons behind it are the opportunity to leverage the knowledge Amadeus acquired through 30-plus years in this industry as well as its extensive customer base to provide startups with strategic value on top of funding; and on the other side, to be able to work in a team that is seen as an important source of innovation and growth opportunities.”
Representing Amadeus Ventures frequently in external events, Pinho said: “My role as an investment manager allows me to be exposed, on a daily basis, to brilliant entrepreneurs that work on the latest technologies to improve the way we travel.
“My main professional ambition is to combine the industry knowledge I am building on to my previous experience in the VC world, to create a portfolio of companies that can not only have a significant impact on Amadeus growth trajectory but also on the future of travel.”
Pinho holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in finance from the University of Porto.
