Dr Kraft

Dr. Dieter Kraft is a veteran of the corporate venture capital world with roughly 15 years of investing experience layered on top of a long engineering career inside German industry. He holds a doctorate (PhD) in atomic/molecular (nuclear) physics from Goethe University Frankfurt. He joined the German engineering and technology group Robert Bosch in 1990 and rose through its technical organization, ultimately heading the Systems Engineering Division for Hybrid Electric and Electric Vehicles at Bosch worldwide before moving into venture investing.

In June 2009 he joined Robert Bosch Venture Capital (RBVC), Bosch's corporate VC arm, as an Investment Partner and authorized signatory. Over roughly nine years there he coordinated RBVC's European venture business and was responsible for its search fields across Europe as well as the healthcare domain worldwide, alongside building up system development activity in electric mobility. During this period he evaluated and backed companies in areas such as digital diabetes care, gesture/3D sensing, and electric propulsion.

Since 2018 he has been Managing Director of TRUMPF Venture GmbH, the corporate venture capital unit of the TRUMPF Group — one of the world's largest machine-tool and laser-technology manufacturers. In that role he leads TRUMPF Venture's international activity and oversees a portfolio spanning photonics, laser technology, manufacturing, sensors, IoT, quantum, additive manufacturing, and healthcare. TRUMPF Venture launched with an initial fund of roughly €40M.

Kraft is a frequent commentator on corporate venturing best practices, arguing that the strategic value of corporate VC lies in knowledge transfer and open innovation rather than treating startups as cheap outsourced R&D.

• Invests as the corporate VC arm of TRUMPF, deploying ~€0.5M–€4M initial checks and targeting 5–25% minority stakes, positioning TRUMPF as a long-term strategic partner rather than a purely financial investor.
• Backs early- to growth-stage deep-tech companies, both as lead and as co-investor (ideally within an investor consortium), and follows on in subsequent rounds.
• Sector priorities: photonics & lasers, manufacturing technology, sensors & automation, connectivity & compute, industrial software, quantum, and sustainability — areas adjacent to TRUMPF's core industrial business.
• Looks for a strong value proposition, experienced management, scalability, sustainable-growth potential, and ideally existing revenue; a fit where TRUMPF can add value as investor, customer, or development partner is a strong "yes" signal.
• In his own words: *"I believe the value proposition of corporate venture is to bring open innovation to the R&D of an organization. A corporate VC needs to bring strategic value in the form of knowledge transfer. It is not about using startups as a cheaper or faster workbench; it is about investing in adjacent fields and learning how such businesses work."*