Minas Apelian serves as vice-president of internal and external venturing at Nova, Paris-listed advanced materials producer Saint-Gobain’s strategic investment arm. He has led Saint-Gobain’s external and internal ventures teams to help drive the firm’s innovation strategy.
Formed in 2006, Nova seeks startups developing technologies, services and products that align with Saint-Gobain’s focus on sustainability and well-being and offers the corporate’s resources and know-how to entrepreneurs.
Nova by Saint-Gobain’s team of 12 is based around the world, with representatives in the United States, France and China. The unit studies roughly 1,000 startups per year, half of which are examined in greater depth before 100 are selected to be evaluated alongside Saint-Gobain’s various business units in order to identify any strategic fits.
When sourcing investment opportunities, Nova seeks traits that can support or improve its core business, such as technologies or products that can enhance the construction value chain, or innovations that enable the development of more efficient building spaces.
In December 2021, the unit participated in the $3m venture round for Inovues, a Houston-based business which has developed adaptive glazing shields for the construction industry. Other recent investments include a role in the $15m series B round for Additive Manufacturing Technologies, a 3D printing technology firm based in Sheffield, UK.
Also among its current portfolio companies are 3D printing technology developer Continuous Composites and Ecomedes, a creator of cloud collaboration tools for the construction industry.
Apelian holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Columbia University as well as master’s and PhD degrees in chemical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
