Markus Wanko

Managing Partner at Xista Ventures

Speaker

Markus Wanko is Managing Partner at xista science ventures and Managing Director of xista’s tech transfer and science park arms. With degrees from MIT, HEC Paris, TU and WU Vienna, he brings over 20 years of experience in venture capital, strategy, and principal investing, having held roles at BCG, the European Investment Fund, and QIA. He serves on the boards of AUTM, and startups Cutanos and Ribbon Biolabs.

Following a career in principal investment and strategy consulting spanning almost two decades and upon returning to Austria, Markus joined ISTA to build xista, an innovation ecosystem translating scientific findings into innovative products and services. With a broad exposure to natural sciences and technology at MIT ranging from molecular biology to electrical engineering, he gained experience in venture capital investing with Safeguard Scientifics and the European Investment Fund, strategy consulting with the Boston Consulting Group, and principal investment with QIA, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds. Markus is a managing partner of xista science ventures as well as MD of our science park and the tech transfer arm. He serves on the board of AUTM, the US tech transfer association, as well as Cutanos and Ribbon Biolabs. He holds an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School, an MSc from TU Vienna, and an MIM from WU Vienna and HEC Paris.