As head of Leaps by Bayer, Jürgen Eckhardt has had a significant role in developing the impact investment division of German life science and agriculture company Bayer during the past eight years. In 2023, Eckhardt was also given the additional role of head of BD&L.
Established in 2015, Leaps by Bayer has steadily boosted its investment power over the past decade, building a portfolio of more than 60 companies, with total capital invested exceeding $1.9bn.
The unit invests in healthcare and agriculture, aiming to solve ten critical challenges that range from curing cancer to ensuring a sustainable protein supply.
Leaps by Bayer recently backed a $147m series B round raised by Sudo Biosciences, a developer of a treatment of multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases. In the first quarter of 2024, two Leaps portfolio companies, Metagenomi and Boundless Bio, completed successful IPOs.
Leaps by Bayer has steadily boosted its investment power over the past decade, building a portfolio of more than 60 companies, with capital invested exceeding $1.9bn.
Eckhardt’s team at Leaps comprises 21 professionals, including venture capital specialists, alongside branding and back-office staff. This team employs a hands-on approach in guiding its portfolio companies. Leaps by Bayer calls this strategy “active incubation”, where seasoned CVC team members provide resources and strategic planning.
The venturing arm has had more than 16 exits, including several acquisitions of portfolio companies by the corporate parent Bayer.
Eckhardt has a background in both medicine and venture capital, having obtained his MD from the University of Basel and completed a MBA at Insead in Fontainebleau, France. He has been a venture investor since 2002 and has served on more than 25 company boards. Previously, he was a management consultant and associate partner at McKinsey where he was a member of McKinsey’s healthcare leadership team. He began his career as a radiologist at the University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland.
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