Sven Harmsen is an experienced investor and corporate ventures leader, currently serving as the Director of External Ventures at Saint-Gobain, where he oversees NOVA North America. His extensive background includes positions at M Ventures and BASF Venture Capital, where he established and led investment teams focused on strategic investments in the material science and performance materials sectors. Sven also has experience in research and development, having worked at companies such as Hoechst Pharma and AgrEvo/Aventis CropScience (now Bayer CropScience). He holds a Ph.D. in Natural Sciences and completed post-doctoral work at Stanford University. Sven has served on the boards of several startup companies, including Advanced BioNutrition and Peratech Holdco Limited, and is a current board director of Maxterial, Inc. He has broad expertise in corporate venturing, new business development, disciplinary leadership, technology scouting, overseeing projects, and motivating international and diverse teams.