Dr. Hannah-Sophie Braun
What did you want to be when you were a child?
Of course, that has changed from time to time, but when I was very young I wanted to be a veterinarian or a researcher (whatever that means exactly). A little later, I wanted to be a Tagesschau anchor, followed by a Nobel laureate in medicine.
Why do you find working with founders so rewarding?
The oft-quoted phrase by Helmut Schmidt: "Anyone who has visions should see a doctor" can probably only be seen as evidence that the start-up world was not very well developed back then. I like working with visionary people who don't start every other sentence with "things used to be better in the past",but see the future as an opportunity that they can help shape. Good founders are by definition people with visions, and I find that very inspiring.
What kind of companies do you find exciting?
I am interested in everything that has to do with healthcare and life science in the broadest sense, and I have a particular sweet spot for biotech companies.
Innovations in cell and gene therapy, for example, will enable therapeutic possibilities in the coming years that were unimaginable 50 years ago. Berlin is particularly strong in this field of research landscape and I am very pleased that we are now seeing so much start-up activity in the area, which is the only way that new technologies can ultimately reach patients.