Ulrich Thiem

Managing Director at Porsche Ventures · Joined 2019

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Biography

Ulrich Thiem came to Porsche Ventures through law, not finance - a PhD in law from Universität Osnabrück and a stint as a corporate lawyer at CMS in Frankfurt before joining Porsche's legal department in 2011. That legal and corporate-affairs background shaped how he built out Porsche Ventures after taking over as Managing Director in 2019, three years after the unit's founding: a strategic investor focused on customer experience, mobility, and digital lifestyles, with a growing emphasis on AI and future technology. Under his leadership the firm has run a lean team - around 17 people managing roughly 35 active investments - while still producing real outcomes, including the 2020 sale of Israeli fleet mobility company Fleetonomy to Via and Porsche's own 2021 acquisition of ebike maker Greyp Bikes, a portfolio company Porsche liked enough to buy outright.

Education

Previous Experience

Notable Investments

FleetonomyGreyp BikesCresta

Career Timeline

2011
Joins Porsche AG's legal department after working as a corporate lawyer at CMS in Frankfurt.
2016
Porsche establishes Porsche Ventures; Thiem moves into corporate affairs and investments.
2019
Becomes Managing Director of Porsche Ventures.
2020
Oversees the sale of portfolio company Fleetonomy to Via.
2021
Oversees Porsche's own acquisition of portfolio company Greyp Bikes.

Sources & References

Global Venturing Powerlist 2022 ↗Global Venturing Powerlist 2023 ↗