“Working, meeting and spending time with the brightest founders on some of the most pivotal technology challenges facing our world is intellectually stimulating and immensely rewarding,” says Shkölqim Fejzi, an investment director at Volvo Cars Tech Fund, the corporate venturing arm of Swedish carmaker Volvo Cars.
After a range of roles at Volvo Cars since 2019, the CVC unit took Fejzi on board in July 2022 because of his diverse background at the parent firm.
“I was asked to join Volvo Cars Tech Fund because I could connect the dots between what Volvo Cars needed and what startups could offer. Having that broad background in the company in different roles helped,” he says.
Fejzi enjoys working with entrepreneurs developing different technologies, from batteries to sensors. “I like to work in a high-paced, disruptive environment where there are a lot of unknowns and multiple ways to solve a challenge,” Fejzi says.
“I like to work in a high-paced, disruptive environment where there are a lot of unknowns and multiple ways to solve a challenge.”
Volvo Cars Tech Fund was formed in 2018 and has a team of 11 based in Europe, Silicon Valley and China. US lidar technology developer Luminar Technologies was one of its first investments, now joined by about 20 other portfolio companies.
Fejzi emphasises the importance of a “clear investment vision” for the fund, aligning with Volvo Cars’ ambitions to become a leader in the electric segment while achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. “As a CVC investor, you are a translator between the corporate and the startup,” he says.
Fejzi advises fellow corporate venturers to broaden their networks not only with investors and entrepreneurs, but also with the parent firm’s other business units.
“Spend time understanding the operations and strategy of your parent company,” Fejzi says. “Go out there, meet a lot of people, build a strong network both externally and internally. Every connection is a potential opportunity.”
See the full list of GCV Rising Stars for 2024 here.