Angie Grimm is the managing director of IBM Ventures and a director for IBM corporate development. IBM Ventures is US-based technology provider IBM’s corporate investment arm, which looks to partner and invest in high-growth innovators that are providing new technologies to the enterprise. The team works closely with IBM businesses to support innovation initiatives and investment in strategic partners to drive growth for IBM, its partners and its enterprise clients.
IBM Ventures was formed in 2001, making it one of the more seasoned open innovation players. Its mission is to promote an innovation ecosystem engaging the full range of IBM resources together with a broad set of partners to support growth for all. It serves as a strategic unit of IBM that provides ‘headlights’ by understanding various disruptions in the market, and then engaging with the best startups to help solve the business problems of both IBM and our enterprise clients.
Prior to leading IBM Ventures, Grimm was a director in IBM investor relations for three years, where she worked with institutional investors and sell-side analysts to understand IBM’s long-term strategy and current financial performance. She specialised in cloud and cognitive software, systems and IBM Research, as well as emerging technologies such as blockchain and quantum computing.
Earlier to her stint in investor relations, Grimm was a corporate development executive for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) strategy, and the venture capital fund manager, responsible for investment banking and VC relationships, M&A opportunities and the venture fund. She also helped launch IBM’s Watson Ecosystem Fund in 2015.
Before joining corporate development in April 2011, Grimm spent over 10 years in various leadership roles within IBM’s market intelligence organisation in support of sales and distribution, software, global business services and corporate development.
Previously, Grimm had spent three years at the storeyed brokerage Donaldson, Lufkin, & Jenrette (DLJ) as an investment banker in Chicago in the US state of Illinois and aided in establishing DLJ’s European M&A and technology group presence in London, UK.
Most recently, in mid-2019, Grimm took up her current role to lead IBM Ventures as former head Wendy Lung retired. Grimm operates a team of partners who use their diverse strengths, decades of experience in corporate venturing and industry expertise to provide market insights and investment support to help IBM and its partners grow.
The IBM Ventures team concentrates on the investor community and sits at the intersection of business, technology and startup innovation. The unit looks to make investments in IBM partners, regardless of stage, who are accelerating its clients shift to cloud, applying artificial intelligence in unique ways, or pioneering emerging technologies such as quantum computing and 5G.
Her current duties also involve overseeing IBM Ventures’ network, including relationships with VCs, private equity investors, investment banks, corporate venturers, startups, accelerators, incubators, government and entrepreneurial organisations worldwide.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from Indiana University Bloomington’s Kelley School of Business.
