Parin Shah has been appointed interim head of Lego Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of the Denmark-based toy manufacturer The Lego Group, itself part of Kirk Kristiansen family office Kirkbi.
Shah joined Lego Ventures in 2020, focusing on education and digital play startups.
The promotion came after Lego Ventures’ deeper integration with its parent company, Kirkbi.
Formed in 2018, Lego Ventures initially focused on early-stage startups before shifting its target to growth-stage companies.
In April 2022, Kirkbi joined electronics manufacturer Sony to provide creative entertainment group Epic Games with $2bn. It also acquired US-based education technology group BrainPop for $875m earlier this month.
In his new role, Shah will be working alongside Kirkbi’s chief investment officer, Thomas Schleicher. He said: “I’m very excited about what’s to come next for Ventures under the Kirkbi banner.”
Lego Ventures has some 15 portfolio companies including game studio Klang and Thirvely, which provides a software tool for teachers and parents to discern children’s strengths.