Munich Re Ventures

Dr. Rainer Schöb, a long-time Munich Re corporate development and M&A executive, leads the firm as Managing Director from Munich. Ben Bergsma serves as Principal and runs the San Francisco office, with primary responsibility for North American deal sourcing and portfolio management. Both report into Munich Re's broader asset-management hierarchy, but the venture team retains significant autonomy in underwriting early-stage technology investments.

The firm leverages Munich Re's global network of insurance clients, brokers, and risk engineers to surface companies solving real-world underwriting, claims, and climate-modeling problems. It also operates three offices in Munich, San Francisco, and Tel Aviv, which give it direct access to venture ecosystems in Germany, the United States, and Israel. Portfolio company pilots with Munich Re's internal underwriters often serve as a soft diligence layer before formal investment.

Munich Re Ventures primarily executes direct equity and convertible-note investments in early- to growth-stage technology companies. The firm is not known to operate as a limited partner in third-party venture funds, choosing instead to build concentrated positions on its own balance sheet where it can add value as a strategic design partner.

The team invests from seed to Series C, with check sizes reported by press accounts between $1 million and $15 million. It prefers to lead or co-lead rounds alongside traditional venture firms, often in syndicates that include specialist climate or insurance-technology investors. The balance-sheet structure means it can follow on selectively into later-stage rounds when portfolio companies achieve underwriting relevance for the parent.

Because Munich Re Ventures invests directly from Munich Re Group's balance sheet, it does not face the liquidity constraints or fund-life deadlines of a traditional venture firm. That capital patience allows the team to hold positions for extended periods and collaborate with portfolio companies on long-term product integration projects within Munich Re's underwriting and claims operations. The arrangement effectively transforms Munich Re's insurance business into a captive early adopter for enterprise-facing startups.