Interview: Arno Held, Chief Venture Officer at AM Ventures

Formnext 2018 opens today. I caught up with Arno Held, Chief Venture Officer at AM Ventures to learn more about why AMV is attending the show.

Industry: The additive manufacturing sector has advanced a lot during the past year. What brings AM Ventures to Formnext 2018?

Arno Held, Chief Venture Officer at AMV: This year at Formnext, AM Ventures is publicly exhibiting for the first time since the foundation of AMV in 2015.

For us, it is also the first time that we are showing what we have done in the past three years: Not only have we scouted far more than 1000 start-ups and invested in 18 companies. Our great team has also created and accelerated AM networks in Munich, Germany and all over the world. On top of this, we have managed to establish a position as the world’s leading investor in Additive Manufacturing.

Industry: What can this year’s visitors expect to learn about when they visit your booth?

Arno Held, Chief Venture Officer at AMV: We invite our guests to learn about our portfolio of high-tech start-up companies and also to meet the AM Ventures team personally. Our aim is to show that AM Ventures provides much more value than just money. We can provide quick and unbureaucratic access to cutting edge technology, industrial-scale manufacturing and a great deal of business expertise. Our most striking feature, however, is the unmatched network of businesses and individuals who help us to grow the AM industry and to make our companies successful.

Industry: What is the specific area of the additive manufacturing ecosystem your company addresses and the problems it solves?

Arno Held, Chief Venture Officer at AMV: We see AMV’s role in boosting the entire AM ecosystem. The industry is still small but growing rapidly and this brings a very bright future for everyone involved. Connecting and supporting experts all over the world in order to discuss today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities is what we love. We want to enhance the acceptance of AM in an industrial context by helping the technology to become more productive, more stable and accessible to everyone.

Industry: Are there any technologies or companies at formnext that you are looking forward to learning more about?

Arno Held, Chief Venture Officer at AMV: As our industry is evolving at a rapid pace, we are generally interested in anything that is new and innovative with a potential to change the status quo. More specifically, we are always on the lookout for new hardware concepts, process automation, new materials and all kinds of industrial applications.

Industry: If a reader is still undecided about attending formnext, what would you say about reasons for visiting?

Arno Held, Chief Venture Officer at AMV: Formnext is the place to be in the AM industry. This place provides more contacts, overview and in-depth insights into industrial than any other event on this planet. You don’t know anything about our industry if you have not been to this show.

Visit AM Ventures in Hall 3.1 at Booth G71

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