Sarah Theinert

Sarah Theinert is Director Partnerships & Value Creation at UVC Partners, a venture capital firm which connects startups to a network of 150+ corporates through its close partnership with Munich-based UnternehmerTUM (UTUM), a leading European innovation center. Theinert has a dual role: she is responsible for managing the relationships with corporate partners who want to explore opportunities to work with UVC Partners’ portfolio companies but also for supporting the portfolio of startups as an expert in go-to-market strategies, marketing, and sales.

Prior to joining UVC Partners in 2022, she was Senior Manager in the Platforms and Acquisitions team at Allianz X, the digital investment unit of German multinational financial services Allianz Group, investing in SaaS ventures as well as actively working with portfolio companies. Theinert started her career at South African conglomerate Naspers after writing a thesis on venture capital and capital markets and receiving her Ph.D. from the Technical University Munich. She recently spoke to The Innovator about how to work with startups and adopt a company-wide innovation culture.

Education

• Bachelor of Science Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (2007 — 2011)
• Stellenbosch University/Universiteit Stellenbosch (2010 — 2010)
• Executive Education University of Oxford (2021.01 — 2021.07)

Companies

• Guest Professor Entrepreneurial Finance TH Ingolstadt (2023)
• Lecturer Executive MBA in Innovation & Business Creation TUM School of Management (2022)
• Director Value Creation UVC Partners (2022)
• Senior Manager & Team Lead Investments & Business Development Allianz X (2021 — 2021)
• Manager & Team Lead Investments & Business Development Allianz X (2020 — 2021)
• Manager Investments & Business Development Allianz X (2018 — 2020)
• Global Business Development Manager (PayU - Naspers Fintech) Naspers Limited (2017 — 2018)
• Doctoral Candidate and Research Assistant at the Chairs in Entrepreneurial Finance Technische Universität München (2015 — 2017)
• External Lecturer in Entrepreneurship Frankfurt School of Finance & Management (2014 — 2016)