Ram Jambunathan has been promoted to head of corporate strategy at Germany-based software provider SAP.
The promotion will allow San Francisco Bay Area-based Jambunathan to retain his role as managing director for corporate venturing unit SAP.iO, responsible for investing in and accelerating early-stage external startup innovation.
Jambunathan said in his LinkedIn profile: “As head of corporate strategy, I lead a team responsible for developing and aligning long-term strategy across various SAP organisational (board) areas, including cloud and application strategy, go-to-market strategy, technology and SAP’s lines of business.
“Our understanding of where adjacent opportunities and disruption may come is informed by many sources, including the startup ecosystem, and particularly through SAP.iO, SAP’s strategic business unit focused on accelerating innovations and pathfinding new areas relevant to SAP and its customers.
“As managing director of SAP.iO, my responsibilities include the SAP.iO Fund, SAP’s early stage startup investment fund, and the SAP.iO Foundries, our global network of equity-free startup accelerators.”
SAP.iO Fund invests in enterprise software startups and has backed nearly 30 companies, while SAP.iO Foundries are in-residence programs active in eight cities.
In addition to its core corporate venturing activities SAP is the cornerstone investor and founder of now-independent venture capital firm Sapphire Ventures, investing in later-stage entrepreneurs and VC funds.
Photo courtesy of SAP.
