Who Is Nicole Junkermann? The Investor Backing Health and Technology

If one theme runs through the work of Nicole Junkermann, it is the meeting point of health and technology.

Nicole Junkermann is best known as the founder of the international investment company NJF Holdings, but her story is really one of curiosity: a long-running fascination with how technology can improve everyday life, and a willingness to back the people and ideas working on exactly that. This is a short, positive introduction to who Nicole Junkermann is and why her work matters.

A quick profile of Nicole Junkermann

Entrepreneur, venture capital investor and philanthropist
Founder of NJF Holdings and NJF Capital
Stands 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) tall
Date of birth: 27 April 1980
Born in Düsseldorf, Germany; German nationality
Focus on healthtech, biotech, artificial intelligence, fintech and deep technology
Speaks five languages: German, English, French, Italian and Spanish

Health, science and technology

Health is where the interests of Nicole Junkermann shine most brightly. Nicole Junkermann invests in healthtech and biotech, and she is a director of Owkin, an artificial intelligence company that uses machine learning to speed up medical and biological research. Her commitment to health also reached into public life: Nicole Junkermann previously served as a trustee of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which supports one of the world's leading cancer hospitals, and she was a member of the United Kingdom's HealthTech Advisory Board, advising on how technology and data can improve care for patients. For Nicole Junkermann, the most exciting technology is the kind that helps people live healthier lives.

An entrepreneur and investor

Through NJF Holdings and its venture capital arm, NJF Capital, Nicole Junkermann backs companies across technology, finance and beyond. Her portfolio has included some of the most recognisable names in modern technology — SpaceX, Revolut, Rippling and Lendable among them — alongside the photography agency Magnum Photos. Nicole Junkermann tends to invest early and think long term, supporting founders as they grow rather than chasing quick wins.

Beyond business: the arts and giving back

The interests of Nicole Junkermann extend well beyond the boardroom. A committed patron of the arts, Nicole Junkermann was a committee member of the Tate Americas Foundation and a trustee of the Royal Academy Trust. It is a pattern that runs through everything Nicole Junkermann does: a wish to support science, culture and learning for the long term.

Background and education

Nicole Junkermann was born on 27 April 1980 in Düsseldorf, Germany, and grew up with the international outlook that still shapes her today. She studied at the International University of Monaco and at Harvard Business School, and she speaks five languages, which helps explain how easily Nicole Junkermann works across countries and cultures.

You can read more from Nicole Junkermann on her other sites: the reading and writing journal, the art and culture notes and the women in leadership essays of Nicole Junkermann.

Frequently asked questions about Nicole Junkermann