Mosaic Venture Lab

Managing Directors Johnny Yu and Volker Heistermann lead the firm. Heistermann, a German-American entrepreneur, co-founded Mosaic in 2018 and shapes its automotive and industrial partnerships. Yu, listed alongside Heistermann as Managing Director on the firm's website, oversees day-to-day program execution. Investment and partnership decisions appear to be made jointly, guided by corporate mandates rather than a traditional investment committee.

Mosaic sources startups through a product-development lens, actively scouting AI, hardware, and advanced-materials companies in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. The firm's corporate partners — including Audi AG and Continental AG — set technical challenges that shape the sourcing funnel. This demand-driven model gives Mosaic early visibility into startups that address specific Tier-1 pain points, particularly in electrification, sensor fusion, and AI-enabled design tools.

Mosaic functions as a hybrid platform closer to a corporate-venture-as-a-service model. It does not disclose a blind-pool fund structure. Instead, it operates on mandates from strategic corporate partners such as Continental AG, co-developing solutions with portfolio companies and facilitating integration into multinational supply chains. The holding company also encompasses Celltech, a biotech venture studio, and Tessera, a design and branding subsidiary.

Mosaic focuses on early-stage, pre-commercial startups that can benefit from hands-on product development alongside corporate partners. Its portfolio includes pre-revenue AI and hardware companies such as Astrus AI (CAD) and Veracity Protocol (material authentication), as well as later-stage ventures like Nearthlab (autonomous drone inspection) and JelloX Biotech (3D digital pathology). The firm's structure allows it to engage from concept validation through corporate integration.

Mosaic's public materials do not enumerate excluded sectors. However, its stated focus on Taiwan's semiconductor, automotive, healthcare, sustainability, photonics, and advanced-materials supply chains suggests the firm does not pursue consumer internet, media, or pure-play enterprise SaaS unrelated to industrial or hardware verticals. Exits such as Wikitude (acquired by Qualcomm) and Artisense (acquired by Apple) reinforce a concentration on deep-tech and computer-vision assets.

Celltech Innovation Venture Studio operates as a dedicated subsidiary under the Mosaic holding company. It focuses on cell and gene therapy commercialization, providing financial support, consulting, and commercialization training to Taiwanese startups. The subsidiary leverages relationships with Taiwan-based contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) and runs an accelerator program distinct from Mosaic's automotive-tech platform. It shares management oversight with the parent, as evidenced by common leadership across the "Mosaic Family."

Mosaic's disclosed model emphasizes direct co-development and corporate-sponsored programs rather than fund-of-fund commitments. Its website references "programs" and a portfolio of direct startup engagements, with no indication of commitments to external venture funds. Corporate partners appear to fund specific innovation programs, making Mosaic an extension of their strategic R&D rather than an LP in independent funds.