Corporate/Start-up collaborations | Nicolai Schättgen

Impactful collaborations for innovation between corporates and start-ups are both, strategically highly important but also hard to build and manage.

Theory and hands-on experience

As a former top-management consultant and today “serial” entrepreneur (I founded Match-Maker Ventures, co-founded tech company OptInk and co-opened a restaurant), I combine theory with hands-on experience. My current job allows me to work with many different tech ventures, understand what differs startups able to scale from those not making the cut and are close to leading tech developments.

Interactive teaching focussed on real-life challenges

Teaching has been my passion for more than 10 years and I highly enjoy challenging discussions, to empower people and share my experiences. I would characterize my teaching style as highly interactive with a focus on real-life challenges while not forgetting the importance of concepts and methodologies. As a business and law graduate, I follow a very analytical approach and believe it’s important to put things into perspective.

Two-way street experience

During my previous engagements with the MBA class, I found a very curious and international group of executives, which makes teaching a two-way street experience, I pass on what I know and likewise learn from the group.