Mark Mielke of BASF Future Business GmbH discusses BASF's diverse industry portfolio, and his firm's role in the company in locating new technologies and ventures.
Mark Mielke
Senior Manager
BASF Future Business GmbH
Dr. Mark Mielke is responsible for Innovation Scouting in North America for BASF Future Business GmbH. BASF Venture Capital GmbH strategically invests risk capital into start up enterprises. BASF Future Business GmbH is supported by BASF Venture Capital GmbH, a subsidiary of BASF Future Business GmbH.
In his role at BASF, Dr. Mielke builds and maintains relationships to start up companies, innovators and universities with the goal of adding new technologies to the BFB portfolio, leveraging BASF’s core competencies in chemistry and materials. Dr. Mielke tells TechConnect, “With key innovations and technologies, BASF Future Business GmbH is able to open new business fields that have their primary focus on chemistry in markets with above average growth rates.”
BASF has a dynamic industry portfolio. “BASF's portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude oil and natural gas,” Mielke tells TechConnect.
With regards to BASF’s technology areas of interest, he notes they include: plant & industrial biotechnology, energy management, raw material change (alternative feedstocks for the chemical industry), and nanotechnology. At the TechConnect Summit in Boston, Dr. Mielke will be looking for “concepts, collaboration and investment opportunities from university groups, scientists, inventors as well as entrepreneurs and start-up ventures - ideas which can provide solutions to key un-met needs related to BASF's core competencies in new materials and chemistry.”
