You lead innovation in a company
You need the right startup or technology partner for a concrete challenge, and a cooperation that survives procurement and the pilot phase.
About
Hi, I'm Chris.
I help companies find the right innovators or startups – and turn them into cooperations that work.
- Berlin, Germany
- Managing Director & Co-Founder, Ambivation
- FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg · TU Berlin
How I can help you
Most people find this page with one of four questions in mind. Pick yours.
You are a founder
You look for an experienced sparring partner, an introduction to industry, or a business angel who invests time as well as capital.
You are planning an event
You want a speaker or moderator on open innovation, venture clienting or startup–corporate collaboration, in English or German.
You are researching the topic
You write, teach or study open innovation and want data, examples and background.
My story
- 1
Nuremberg, business and tech
I grew up in Nuremberg and studied business informatics in Erlangen. Since then I have felt at home in a business case and in a technical spec alike.
- 2
A problem of my own
As a student with a small network, I struggled to find a co-founder for my first idea. I finally met him through the student club START Berlin, and together we found our third co-founder. That experience became founderio, a platform that brings co-founders together, which I co-founded and led until 2016.
- 3
The bigger insight
Building founderio, we saw what startups need most: customers and partners. And companies need fast, scalable solutions for real problems. In 2016 I co-founded Ambivation to make these cooperations happen: a triple win for companies, startups and society. Since 2022 we have worked from Impact Hub Berlin, where entrepreneurship and social impact meet.
- 4
Building bridges
Today my work connects Europe and Asia. I am regularly in Taiwan, and through Ambivation and Berlin's internationalisation programmes I work with clients and innovation communities in Singapore, Japan and Korea.
Milestones
- 2008–2011
Business informatics at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg
Bachelor's degree; research assistant at the Chair of Information Systems I and first president of the student entrepreneurship club START Erlangen-Nürnberg.
- 2011–2015
TU Berlin & University of Twente
Double-degree master's in innovation management and entrepreneurship; co-founded START Berlin. Thesis (2015) on how B2B startups learn from external knowledge.
- 2014–2016
founderio
Co-founder and CEO of a platform that connects founders with co-founders and established companies.
- since 2016
Ambivation
Managing Director and co-founder: startup scouting, open innovation and venture clienting for corporates, SMEs and the public sector.
- since 2020
IoTusecase
Advisor and co-founder of IIoT Use Case; lecturer for entrepreneurship at TH Brandenburg in 2020.
- since 2021
Startup-Challenges & lists
Collecting startup and innovation challenges in open lists for the ecosystem.
- since 2022
Business angel & mentor
Angel investments in climate, energy, circular economy and software; startup mentor at HEC Paris (2022) and Esade (2023).
- since 2026
Coopsaas
Customer success for the scouting workflow tool for innovation managers.
What matters to me
Triple win
Cooperation has to pay off for the company, the startup – and society.
Open communication
Say what you need early, including what you don't know yet.
Clear expectations
Agree on goals, effort and success criteria before the pilot starts.
Curious about technology
Especially deep tech and industrial tech, where cooperation matters most.
Beyond work
- Born in Nuremberg, I still bake my own Lebkuchen every winter – now with a small helper.
- Regularly in Taiwan, for family and for work.
At a glance
Christoph „Chris“ Baier
Open innovation & venture clienting · Berlin
- Role
- Managing Director & Co-Founder, Ambi-Vation GmbH (Ambivation), since 2016
- Based in
- Berlin, Germany
- Active in
- Europe, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Korea – and globally
- Focus
- Open innovation, venture clienting, startup scouting, corporate–startup collaboration
- Industries
- Software & AI, manufacturing, construction & real estate, semiconductors, energy, circular economy
- Education
- B.Sc. Business informatics (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg)
M.Sc. Innovation management and entrepreneurship (TU Berlin, University of Twente) - Languages
- German, English, basic French
Let's talk about your next cooperation.
Whether you are on the company or the startup side – a short call is usually the fastest way to find out if and how I can help.