GUV Powerlist 2018: Viktor Drvota

At a time when others were barely dipping their toes into university venture funds, Karolinska Institute dived straight into the deep end and launched Karolinska Development in 2003 to commercialise life sciences research emerging from its own institution and others in the Nordic region.
Viktor Drvota became CEO in June 2017, having been chief investment officer since 2016. He has more than 16 years of experience in the VC ecosystem, including being responsible for life sciences at SEB Venture Capital, owned by financial services firm Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, from 2002 to 2016.
That expertise – added to a career as an associate professor in cardiology at Karolinska Institute – have been instrumental in steering Karolinska Development, which has been publicly traded on Nasdaq Stockholm since 2011.
Karolinska Development posted a profit in 2017, showing just how successful its considered approach has been. Two of its portfolio companies have launched products and another seven are advancing through clinical trials.