Estelle joined INKEF in September 2020 as part of the healthcare investment team. She holds an M.Sc. in Applied Biosciences & Biotechnology from Imperial College. Before joining INKEF, Estelle completed research internships in Immunology (Bat Lab, Israel), Oncology (Djamgoz Lab, UK) and Microbiology (Small World Initiative, Canada). In parallel, she founded and directed a start-up called Nanoshied: her team developed a dragonfly-inspired material to protect medical devices from resistant bacteria. Outside of work, Estelle enjoys song-writing, singing and composing her own piano pieces.

Simone Botti is a Junior Partner in the Healthcare team at INKEF. Simone brings with him more than 15 years of experience across venture capital and startupcreation and leadership. Before joining INKEF Simone was CEO of Metabomed, an early stage cancer metabolism company he co-founded while he was Head of the Israel Bioincubator Fund at M Ventures, which he joined in 2011. Simone built his company building experience while at M Ventures, where he established a number of early stage companies. During that time Simone also served as a Board Member of IATI, the Israel Advanced Technology Industries association. Previously, he was Vice President, Business Development at RAD Biomed Accelerator, one of Israel’s leading life science incubators. Simone did his PhD in Structural Biology and Neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he received the “Dov Elad” prize in Structural Biology.

Kunal joined INKEF in June 2020. Prior to that, he worked at North Ridge Partners, an investment bank in Singapore, enabling growth stage startups for private placements and M&A. He has also completed an internship at Grant Thornton India, as a part of their maiden initiative in start-up growth acceleration. He holds a B.A. (Hons.) degree in Economics from University of Delhi (India), and a Masters in Finance from ESSEC Business School (Singapore/France). Having lived in 4 countries in the last 4 years, Kunal enjoys learning about new cultures and gaining diverse perspectives. Besides work, Kunal is a sports enthusiast playing football, cricket, and keenly following the Formula 1.

Amanda joined INKEF in May 2020 as part of the healthcare investment team. Before joining INKEF, Amanda worked as an analyst in the healthcare team of M Ventures, corporate VC fund of Merck KGaA. Amanda is a medical doctor by training, having studied both her MBBS and BSc in Surgery & Anaesthesia at Imperial College London before working as an Academic Foundation Doctor in London. She also holds an MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise from the University of Cambridge. In her free time, Amanda enjoys drawing, cooking new recipes and escaping into nature.

Andrea joined INKEF in February 2020 as an associate on the technology team. She holds a Masters in Mathematical Physics from the University of Edinburgh, and before entering the innovation ecosystem she worked as a research assistant in theoretical molecular quantum mechanics at ETH Zürich, focusing on the development of instanton rate theory for quantum-chemical reactions. Prior to joining INKEF, she did an internship with investiere.ch, Switzerland’s most active early-stage investor, and has completed several research internships in applied statistical physics and quantum theory in the UK and her native country Sweden. Andrea is a true coffee enthusiast and loves spending time in cafés, but when she is not searching for a fresh brew she is most likely in the dance studio with her favorite hip hop beats.

Nicolas Christou joined INKEF in September 2019. Prior to that, he completed several internships in the financial sector, working for Hedge Fund Altana Wealth, the Investment Banking Division of Crédit Agricole and a Private Equity. He also worked with Startup Sesame, a Paris-based startup accelerator specialized in Tech events. Nicolas holds a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Manchester and a MSc in Applied Mathematics from the London School of Economics & Political Science. Nicolas enjoys travelling and playing badminton.

Joëlle joined INKEF in October 2019 as a Senior Advisor to the Tech team. In 2008, she co-founded Improve Digital, global SAAS platform/ market place in the digital media
space with data and AI at the heart of it, which was later sold to Swisscom in 2016. Before Improve Digital she held international roles at large corporates such as Microsoft and KLM. With her non-profit InspiringFifty, she promotes the visibility of female role models in tech in over 10 countries including Canada and South Africa. Joëlle feels inclusion (in the broadest sense) is incredibly important in the rapid tech transformation of businesses and societies. She is also a member of company supervisory boards, a mentor for start-ups, and an active investor.

Lisa joined the INKEF team in December 2018, prior to that she was working as an office manager at Profibrix BV, a successful portfolio company from INKEF that was acquired by The Medicines Company in 2013. Lisa excels in her role as executive assistant exhibiting high levels of quality and accuracy in her work. Lisa possesses the ultimate “ can do”  attitude while taking on all tasks with a positive energy and a smile. Lisa’s personality and engaging personal style enable her to interact effectively with clients and colleagues.

Daniela joined INKEF in March 2019. As a member of the healthcare team, she is involved in sourcing and evaluating new investment opportunities, as well as supporting portfolio companies. Before joining INKEF, Daniela worked as an analyst fellow in the healthcare team of M Ventures, corporate VC fund of Merck KGaA, evaluating opportunities and supporting due diligence of companies in oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology. Prior to that, Daniela trained as a molecular biologist, studying at University of Padua and working for five years in Heidelberg University. Here she obtained her PhD thanks to a Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions fellowship, working on drug target identification in eukaryotic parasites. Outside of work, Daniela is fond of trying new food and restaurants, as well as travelling and enjoying various art forms.

Ivan is a Senior Associate in the INKEF Healthcare investment team. He joined the fund in January 2019 after graduating with his MBA from INSEAD. Trained as a biological scientist, Ivan holds a PhD in Genetics from the Institute of Cytology and Genetics (Novosibirsk) and has 10 years of experience in applied and fundamental biological research. That includes 2.5 years as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (Barcelona). Then, Ivan joined Sanofi’s Eurasian affiliate, where he worked in strategy and business development roles. He has also advised startups in the biotechnology and digital-health space and was an intern at Forbion Capital Partners.

Roel Bulthuis is a Managing Partner and head of the Healthcare investment team at INKEF. Roel combines more than 15 years of experience across venture capital, pharma business development and investment banking. Prior to joining INKEF he served as an SVP and Managing Director of M-Ventures which he created and developed into a leading CVC fund. Prior to that, he served in senior positions in global business development at Merck Serono and in the investment banking team at Fortis Bank. Roel is a Kauffman Fellow and passionate about continuously challenging the status quo. Roel holds a Msc. in Biopharmaceutical Sciences from Leiden University and an MBA in Finance from the Helsinki School of Economics.  

Laura joined INKEF in 2018 and is responsible for sourcing new deals, due diligence and supporting portfolio companies in the technology investment team. Laura joins us from Stockholm where she co-founded a market intelligence startup. Prior to being right in the midst of the Scandinavian startup scene Laura came from London where she worked for the knowledge broking firm AlphaSights. She started her career at the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK and holds a master’s degree from Lund University in Business and Economics. Outside of work, Laura is an outright foodie while she enjoys fitness and wellbeing in all its forms.

Robert Jan Galema is a multi-lingual senior executive and investment professional with over 20 years of experience in global technology environments and a proven record of accomplishment. He has held senior executive positions at Philips and Electrolux as well as founded a number of companies. He has also held supervisory board and investment management positions. Robert Jan received a Master’s in Business Economics from the Erasmus University Rotterdam and followed an Executive MBA program at Duke University.

Janneke van Dongen joined INKEF January 1st 2016 as office manager. Over the past 13 years she has worked in an international environment as executive assistant for senior executive management, office management and project management. She particularly loves the innovation and startup environment and is very happy to be part of it once more.

Corné joined INKEF May 1, 2015 and focuses on early stage investing in the areas of enterprise SaaS & financial technology. He has 7 years of investment experience in technology. Prior to INKEF, Corné was a VP at HPE Growth Capital, a late stage growth fund where he looked at both B2B as well as B2C business models in the areas of fintech, applied materials and enterprise software. Before joining HPE, Corné worked in the London based Technology Coverage teams of Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse First Boston, both in London where he executed several M&A transactions and IPOs. He holds a BSc in Finance from Reims Management School and a MSc. degree in Financial Management from the Nyenrode, Netherlands. When not working with start-up companies you might find Corné on the beach playing beach volleyball (though he admits there are better countries for this particular pastime), in the kitchen cooking, spending time with his family or reading up on technology trends. Prior to his career in technology he actually worked as a roady for several years, but that’s a different story.

Wolfgang Noeldeke became INKEF’s CFO in April 2017. He spent 20 years of his professional career in various roles in Venture Capital. Wolfgang started as an auditor and consultant of BDO, focusing on companies in the German Start Up and Venture Capital marketplace. From 2001 he worked for the British Private Equity company 3i as fund manager and later Financial Director of the German business unit. This role involved managing several Venture Capital funds in Germany and The Netherlands. In 2007 Wolfgang moved to Amsterdam to join Aescap Venture as CFO. Wolfgang holds a master of economy of the Technische Universitaet Berlin.

Mirella Tempelaars has been INKEF’s Operations Manager from Day 1, and has a comprehensive grasp of all our administration, marketing and HR. Previously, Mirella was a partner at Praktisch Werkt, where she provided vital back-office support to young start-ups. Mirella understands the organizational dynamics of all INKEF’s partners. Mirella has also held various operational positions at companies like Lextone and FundPartners, an investment arm started by NIB Capital.

For the past two decades, Frank has founded, built and led multiple Technology companies through various stages of rapid growth. The last 11 years, he served on the Executive board of IPsoft, Inc., a global leader in Intelligent Automation Software, being responsible as CEO for EMEA and later as Chief Strategy Officer for the Group. Earlier, he cofounded several technology companies including a European leader in Logistics & Retail Software and an international Digital Agency. He holds a number of advisorships to help Entrepreneurs achieve real results. Frank is a graduate of the Haarlem Business School and followed an MBA program at the University in Amsterdam.

Kyang joined INKEF in November 2016. He has more than 10 years of experience in technology investing, across fintech, online marketplaces, enterprise software and manufacturing technology. Prior to INKEF, Kyang was responsible for M&A at Naspers’ fintech segment, which brought him to developing economies in 4 continents. At Naspers, he was instrumental in building a portfolio of fintech holdings and led one of the largest acquisitions in the payments space in Asia. Before Naspers, he was a VP at HPE Growth Capital, a growth-stage investment firm, where he drove the execution of several investments and was deeply involved in hands-on portfolio management. Kyang started his career as an investment banker in London (M&A) and Hong Kong (Principal Investments). He holds a Msc. degree in Financial Economics from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Outside of work, Kyang enjoys playing tennis and golf as well as travelling to exotic destinations with his wife and two boys.

Michael Stam became INKEF’s Chief Executive Officer in August 2012. As a chair member of our Investment Committee and representative of our founding partner ABP, Michael has been closely associated with INKEF since its inception in 2010. Previously, Michael managed APG’s Listed Equity Platform, focusing on selecting and monitoring external asset managers. Michael received a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Leiden, an MBA from Delft University and a Master’s in Real Estate from the Amsterdam School of Real Estate.

Jan Keltjens joined INKEF in September 2015. Jan has extensive experience in the health care sector. He most recently served as chief executive officer of Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation (acquired by Medtronic in August 2014). Before that he previously was the chairman and chief executive officer of Endosense SA (acquired by St Jude Medical in August 2013), executive chairman of Surpass Medical ltd. (acquired by Stryker Corporation late 2012), as well as president and chief executive officer of AngioDynamics Inc. (ANGO, 2009 – 2011) and CryoCath Technologies Inc. (TSX; CYT, 2007- until its acquisition by Medtronic in 2009). From 2000 to 2007, he served as Worldwide General Manager of Cordis Neurovascular, a Johnson & Johnson company. Jan currently holds a number of non-executive Board roles, including Chairman of the Board of JenaValve Technologies.

Ronald Wuijster has over 20 years of investment experience and is a member of the board of directors of APG Group, responsible for asset management. He is also chairman of the board of APG Asset Management. From 2010 to 2017, Ronald worked as Chief Client Officer at APG asset management and then as Chief Investment Officer. From 2006 to 2010, Ronald worked as Managing Director of Strategic Portfolio Management, first at ABP and from 2008 at APG. Before joining ABP, Ronald worked at Robeco Groep NV where he initially started in 1990 as Senior Portfolio Manager and after various positions finally ended his career in 2006 as Research Director. Ronald studied business economics and law at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Finance and Accounting at the London School of Economics in London and psychology at Leiden University.

Before Volker became CEO of BuyIn, the Procurement Alliance of Deutsche Telekom, Orange and Bell Canada in 2011, he served as CPO of Deutsche Telekom.

Volker co-founded the e-procurement market place Goodex AG, which he sold to Ariba/SAP. He served as CEO of Germany and London based broker houses Spütz and Tullet&Spütz which he IPO’d at Frankfurt’s New Market stock exchange.

Volker Pyrtek graduated from the University of Cologne with a Masters Degree and a Doctorate in Business Administration. He began his professional career at Bayer AG in the area of Controlling and hold several executive positions in corporate service divisions.

Volker Pyrtek is franco-german, married and has five children.

Being part of the Inkef team since February 2018, Robert has more than 20 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry.  Medicinal Chemist by formation, with over 100 patents and co-authored peer reviewed scientific papers, Robert has led a number of projects from initial concept all the way to phase 2 clinical trials / proof of concept studies.  He has contributed to a large number of pharma-related transactions as Director of Business Development and Licensing at Roche, as Head of Asia Pacific Global External R&D at Lilly based in Shanghai and more recently through his own consulting firm.  Not only is Robert experienced within the global pharma market, he also has a great interest in the ever-developing Asia pharma market.

Robert graduated with a PhD in Chemistry from The University of Glasgow, Scotland; he completed his post-doc at Harvard University and holds an Executive MBA from the London Business School.

Martin C. Michel joined Inkef in May 2017. As physician board certified in Pharmacology and in Clinical Pharmacology, he has more than 30 years’ experience in academic and commercial drug discovery, translational pharmacology and development in Germany, the US and the Netherlands, including the discovery and clinical development of tamsulosin (Flomax®). From 2003-2011 he was Head of the Department of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapy at the University of Amsterdam, from 2011-2016 Global Head of Product and Pipeline Scientific Support at Boehringer Ingelheim and since 2016 is Senior Partner at PAASP GmbH. His research focusses on urogenital and cardiovascular diseases, where he has published more than 500 scientific articles cited more than 21,000 times.

Lex H.T. Van der Ploeg is CSO for Rhythm pharmaceuticals and functions as a member of the board of Directors for Retrotope Inc., and as an advisor to DeuteRx, LLC. Lex is a member of the SAB for Excellentia Global partners and an Advisor to Inkef Capital.  Lex functions as Managing Director for VDP, LLC, an independent consulting agency focused on guiding Research and Development for the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries and private investors. At VDP, LLC, Lex focuses on supporting R&D initiatives from a strategic and tactical perspective, as an integrated member of Management and R&D teams.

Lex’s expertise includes development of Diagnostics and Therapeutics including Cancer, Neurodegenerative disorders, Metabolic disorders and Infectious diseases. Prior to starting VDP, LLC Lex was the Sr. Vice President of Integrative Medicine and Translational Science at Abraxis/Celgene. Previously, Dr. Van der Ploeg held the position of, Vice president, Basic Research, and site head at Merck Research Laboratories Boston focused on oncology and neurodegenerative disease. Prior to starting Merck Research Laboratories Boston in December 2003, Dr. Van der Ploeg held diverse functions at Merck Research Laboratories including site head MRL San Diego and Head Obesity research for Merck Rahway and Banyu, Japan. At Merck, Lex held leadership roles in obesity and metabolism, oncology, neurodegenerative disease research and diagnostics.

Dr. Van der Ploeg received his M.S. degree (Summa Cum Laude) in Biochemistry in 1980 from the University of Amsterdam and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry/Enzymology/Genetics in 1984 from the University of Amsterdam/Netherlands Cancer Research Center. Following receipt of his Ph.D. Dr Van der Ploeg joined the faculty of the Dept of Genetics and Development of Columbia University, as an assistant Professor and received tenure at Columbia University in 1987. Dr Van der Ploeg held an adjunct faculty position at the Dept of Genetics and Development of Columbia University from 1992 through 2009. Dr. Van der Ploeg received numerous awards and grants for his research and has broadly published on his research in peer reviewed journals. He is an inventor on over 50 patents and patent applications.