Dr. Solomon Assefa is a Founder and Partner at C1 Ventures, focused on building and scaling ventures that tackle industry decarbonization through science and innovation. He leverages his vast R&D and management experience to foster innovation and direct investments into ventures that accelerate breakthrough science and technologies to market to enable environmental sustainability. He applies his deep expertise to identify and turbocharge startups at the cutting edge of science and technology, particularly those focused on decarbonizing industries. He works closely with scientist entrepreneurs from the development of innovations to successful market launches, demonstrating the firm’s dedication to combining technological progress with environmental responsibility.

Dr. Assefa holds a BS, MSc, and PhD from MIT, and two decades of scientific and executive leadership. As a Vice President at IBM Research, he was instrumental in leading global R&D efforts, commercialization of technologies, and management of hundreds of research scientists worldwide. Furthermore, he was responsible for spearheading IBM’s strategy on climate and sustainability, including the launch of products for enterprise clients, a global research agenda focused on innovations to tackle climate change, and partnerships spanning universities, companies, governments, multi-lateral agencies, and non-profits. Dr. Assefa’s achievements include authoring over 150 peer-reviewed articles and holding more than 70 patents. He has been recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and honored by the Africa America Institute for his notable contributions to science, technology, and innovation.