Roel Bulthuis is the Managing Director of Merck Ventures (previously MS Ventures), the strategic venture capital fund of Merck KGaA, which he established in 2009.
Merck Ventures’ mandate is to invest in innovative technologies and products with the potential to significantly impact Merck‘s core business areas. From our headquarters in Amsterdam and offices in the US and Israel we invest globally in transformational ideas driven by great entrepreneurs. Merck Ventures takes an active role in its portfolio companies and teams up with entrepreneurs and co-investors to translate innovation towards commercial success. Merck Ventures has a significant focus on early-stage investing and company creation including the creation of spin-offs to leverage Merck‘s science and technology base. Merck Ventures has a total of € 300 million under management.

Previously, Roel was a Director in the Biotech Investment Banking Team at Fortis Bank, based out of Amsterdam and New York. Before that, he worked at Devgen in Ghent, Belgium.

Roel is currently a member of the Board at Calypso Biotech, Canbex Therapeutics, and BirdRock Biotech. Roel is an observer on the Board of f-Star and was previously a Director at Asceneuron, Metabomed, Padlock Therapeutics, Prexton Therapeutics, Rana Therapeutics and Vaximm.