Alexander De Kegel joined Allianz X, the corporate venture arm of the German financial services company, in October 2019, motivated by his belief that “financial services sit at the heart of every business”. He enjoys the sector because it is complex, competitive and ever-changing while being the common factor that overlaps and underpins every industry.
For De Kegel, investing is all about employing capital to “allow companies to do something productive”. As the chief investment officer and managing director of Allianz X North America, he is part of a team investing in late-stage, growth digital companies.
He says his team’s support and workplace culture is one of the most fulfilling parts of his job because, “ultimately, investing is a people business”. Along with his team, he invests in later-stage rounds, from series C to listed companies. Allianz X invests off the Allianz group’s balance sheet.
“The venture landscape can be challenging, so if a deal feels too easy to do, you should get a little worried.”
Before joining Allianz, De Kegel worked at Fidelity International, as part of the investment, M&A and corporate development team.
The venture landscape can be challenging, so De Kegel cautions new entrants that “if a deal feels too easy to do, you should get a little worried.” While Allianz X has stayed quite active despite the market downturn, he recommends focusing on the long-term vision of the unit and maintaining belief in what you invest in.
The most important consideration for De Kegel is what he can bring to the table as a corporate investor, besides just capital to “have a competitive advantage” and bring real value, whether this is giving startups an entry to global markets, forging partnerships with Allianz companies, or using the parent’s resources.
He is constantly on the lookout for mature startups that are already in the market with a proven commercial product or service. In this way, the unit’s capital can be used as a “tailwind” to push startups forward.
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