Santander's $200 million venture capital fund has moved to strengthen its Silicon Valley foothold by appointing industry veteran Chris Gottschalk as a senior adviser to lead its strategic direction in the US.
Gottschalk joins Santander InnoVentures from Blumberg Capital where he held the role of principal for seven years, in the company’s San Francisco office.
Previously he worked at Menlo Ventures and has held board or board observer positions at a host of tech startups, including fintechs Lendio and Simply Credit.
At InnoVentures he will work alongside Manuel Silva Martínez, building up local presences in the fund’s two strategic geographies - Europe and the US.
Since launching in 2014, the fund has invested in 23 startups, 70% of whom are now in strategic engagements with Santander.
Says Gottschalk: “I am thrilled to join Manuel and the SIV team to build the fund’s foothold in the US. It’s an exciting moment as we look to strengthen our efficiencies and competitive edge through the dual presence in fintech startup hubs London and Silicon Valley, and to capitalise on transatlantic flows.”