Illai Gescheit

Who is Illai Gescheit?

Illai Gescheit is an entrepreneur, investor, and venture advisor who is passionate about bringing innovation to large and complex ecosystems, such as corporations or the global energy market.2 He is a former Venture Partner at Siemens Energy Ventures and has held roles as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at BP and Amazon.25

Key Facts About Illai Gescheit

• Current Role: Venture Partner at Siemens Energy Ventures134
• Previous Roles:
  • Entrepreneur-in-Residence at BP and Amazon25
  • Co-founder of VYVE Carbon Intelligence (a BP spinout)5
• Founder of ZeroFirst Ventures, a venture capital firm working with startups, investors, corporate innovators, and universities to build a sustainable, low-carbon energy ecosystem23
• Mentor and Advisor:
  • Mentor on Google for Startups' Climate Program13
  • Advisor and Judge for New Venture Competition (NVC)3
  • Member of the CXO Advisory Network3
  • Mentor at Techstars, Singularity University, and Zinc VC3
• Educator:
  • Guest Lecturer at London Business School, Cambridge University, and Product School3
  • Instructor for ventures on Udemy3
• Member of the World Economic Forum's Expert Network since 202234

Illai's entrepreneurial journey began in 2006 when he joined the founding team at Medingo, an Israeli startup that created innovative medical devices.2 He has founded multiple startups, developed a design and ideation methodology called Patent Thinking, and created a product design framework called ZIZO.2

As a venture partner at Siemens Energy Ventures, Illai works with entrepreneurs, startup teams, corporate innovators, and leaders to energize society and make a positive impact on the planet.3