Thierry Piret leads the global investment strategy for Solvay Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Belgium-based chemicals and materials group Solvay.
Set up in 2005, Solvay Ventures supports sustainable materials and chemicals innovation on a global basis. The unit maintains a strong focus on sustainability as it invests in breakthrough technologies in advanced materials and formulations. It currently manages a €80m ($88m) global evergreen fund dedicated to sustainable resources, energy transition, increased well-being, and digital age.
Solvay Ventures has offices in San Francisco, New York, Paris, Brussels and Shanghai, with strong links to local innovation ecosystems in each city.
Among the unit’s recent investments are a role in the $17m series A round for 9t Labs, an additive manufacturing specialist, and participation in the $39m series B raise for DMC Biotechnologies, a producer of bio-based chemicals through fermentation.
Other portfolio companies include Invizius, a therapeutics firm spun out of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, 3D medical device printer PrinterPrezz, and Solid Power, a developer of solid-state rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles. Solvay Ventures also holds a stake in Noble AI, a developer of software which helps research & development organisations innovate at a faster rate.
Piret has worked with Solvay for more than 25 years, with roles in research & development as well as new business development in areas such as biotechnology, industrial enzymes and animal health. He holds a master’s degree in chemical and agricultural sciences.
