Who Is Nicole Junkermann?

Overview

Nicole Junkermann is an international entrepreneur, venture capital investor and philanthropist. She is the founder of NJF Holdings and its venture capital arm NJF Capital, through which she invests in artificial intelligence, healthtech, biotech, fintech and deep technology. Her career spans building companies, backing founders and supporting cultural and medical institutions.

Born on 27 April 1980 in Düsseldorf, Germany, Nicole Junkermann holds German nationality. She stands 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m). She speaks five languages and divides her attention between early-stage technology, frontier science and a number of long-running philanthropic commitments.

Key facts

A quick reference for the essentials about Nicole Junkermann.

Early life and education

Nicole Junkermann was born on 27 April 1980 in Düsseldorf, Germany. She went on to study at the International University of Monaco and at Harvard Business School, an education that pairs an international outlook with a grounding in how companies are built and run.

That mix of perspectives runs through her later work. Whether she is reading a young company's first plan or sitting on a board, Nicole Junkermann tends to look for the same thing: a clear idea, a capable team and a product that earns its place.

Investing and NJF

Nicole Junkermann is the founder of NJF Holdings, an international group with interests across technology and finance, and of its venture capital arm, NJF Capital. Through these firms she backs founders at the points where good ideas need patient capital and steady support.

Her investment focus is broad but consistent: artificial intelligence, healthtech, biotech, fintech and deep technology. The common thread is a belief that careful technology can solve real problems, from health and finance to the frontier of science and space.

Selected investments

The companies below give a sense of the range Nicole Junkermann backs, from space and financial services to life sciences and the visual arts.

Across this portfolio, Nicole Junkermann takes an active, long-term view, and at Owkin she serves on the board of directors.

Artificial intelligence and deep technology

Artificial intelligence and deep technology sit at the centre of Nicole Junkermann's work. She is drawn to companies using machine learning to make progress on hard, useful problems, and her interest in health and life sciences shows in her support for Owkin, which applies artificial intelligence to medical research.

The way she talks about technology mirrors the spirit of this journal. New tools matter most when they are clear, trustworthy and built around people. For Nicole Junkermann, the aim is not to chase every release, but to back the few systems that genuinely improve how we work, learn and care for one another.

Philanthropy and public roles

Alongside her investing, Nicole Junkermann gave time to a number of cultural and medical institutions. She was a committee member of the Tate Americas Foundation and a trustee of the Royal Academy Trust, supporting the arts in Britain and beyond.

In health, Nicole Junkermann was a trustee and supporter of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and a member of the United Kingdom's HealthTech Advisory Board.

Languages and interests

Nicole Junkermann speaks five languages: German, English, French, Italian and Spanish. That range suits a career built across countries and sectors, and it helps explain how comfortably she moves between technology, finance, science and the arts.

• International entrepreneur, venture capital investor and philanthropist
• Founder of NJF Holdings and NJF Capital
• Focused on artificial intelligence, healthtech, biotech, fintech and deep technology
• Supporter of the arts, medical research and higher education

To read more in her own words, browse the tech notes, the notebook or the reading list.

Frequently asked questions