Stefan Gabriel
CEO & Managing Director
Munich, Germany

Senior Executive from Automotive, serial entrepreneur, advisor, founder and investor in VC, CVC of 6+ fortune 500 corporates around the globe. PhD in CVC and strong driver of Strategies, Technology Innovation, Business Transformation and Growth.
Dr. Stefan Gabriel, a 20-year veteran of corporate venturing, founded Hitachi Ventures in 2019 and is extremely ambitious about the value add that the unit can create for its parent company, the Japanese conglomerate Hitachi. Dr. Gabriel is CEO & Managing director at Hitachi Ventures that advises a 600m Hitachi Fund to invest globally in Hitachi’s key areas: environmental tech & circularity, energy, mobility, AI & digital technologies, to industrial automation and life sciences; respecting that each sector is facing global challenges of Environment, Health, or Society.
Prior to his current position, he was President of 3M New Ventures (CVC Unit of 3M Ltd.), that he started in 2008, with global responsibility to identify, acquire and develop new-to-3M technologies and businesses using venture style funding and management. Dr Gabriel worked in Manufacturing Engineering, Corporate Strategy and Innovation at BMW Group with executive responsibilities including Powertrain Strategy and Innovation for “Future Automotive Concepts” for BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce.
Given his long-standing experience, he has advised many C-Level Executives of Fortune 500 companies around the globe on how to insource innovation and add to mutual growth, operate or restructure CVC arms.
Dr Gabriel holds a PhD in Corporate Venture Capital, a master’s in mechanical engineering and since 13+ years he is Visiting Professor for “Enterprise and Innovation” at the University of Huddersfield, UK.
Personal Notes
With huge passion for technology and business innovation I am every day highly motivated to work with entrepreneurs around the world and replicate innovation across industries. Networking with entrepreneurs and founders inspires me for investments in new territory.
Areas of Interest
Found, build, advise or operate Fortune 500 CVC arms in different industries and cultures!
Active Investments
Always invest at the interface of different industries and adjacent to core for corporates. “Infect corporates with the innovation virus”
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Stefan Gabriel, managing director and chief executive of Hitachi Ventures, is one of the 100 leading corporate venturing professionals in Powerlist this year.
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Hitachi Establishes the Third Corporate Venture Capital Fund for Innovation in the Digital Domain
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GCV Powerlist 2022: No. 19 out of 150!
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Hitachi Establishes a New Corporate Venture Capital Fund to Expand Strategic Investments in the Environment and Healthcare
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Growing Seeds of Innovation through Strategic Corporate Venturing
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Hitachi Ventures has been named to 2021’s GCV Powerlist: No. 25 out of 100!
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Interview @ Corporate Venturing Insider
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Akarion and Hitachi Systems Security are working together to enhance Digital Trust
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Hitachi Ventures has been named to 2020’s GCV Powerlist Top 100
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Hitachi Ventures investing in Akarion.
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Hitachi establishes a Corporate Venture Capital Fund to support startups as an innovation partner.