Nicolas van Lierde

Venture & Growth Investor | Value Creation | Board Member | ex-BCG ex-ADQ

Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

About

Experienced Investment Professional | Venture Capital & Growth | Operating Partner Nicolas is a VC and Growth investor at Aramco Ventures (Wa’ed Ventures), investing across the GCC and internationally, with a strong focus on startups expanding into Saudi Arabia. He moved to Abu Dhabi in 2021 to join ADQ, investing in growth-stage startups and funds (regional and international). Beyond capital deployment, he actively drove value creation initiatives and supported portfolio companies post-investment. He developed an extensive professional network across the GCC, including fund managers, institutional investors, and family offices. Prior to ADQ, Nicolas was a General Manager at BCG Digital Ventures in London, where he led the launch and development of Corporate Venture Capital initiatives and investments in high-potential startups. He started his career as a financial analyst at ExxonMobil before co-founding / leading two digital startups - Screening Media and VisiYou (now FCR Media) - both successfully acquired and integrated. Since 2017, Nicolas serves as a board member and angel investor, supporting entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses. He is also one of the co-founders of BeCentral, Europe’s largest tech campus. Nicolas holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Engineering and Business from Solvay Business School, as well as an Executive Master’s degree in Digital Marketing. Expertise: VC & Growth investments, Portfolio Management & Value Creation, Corporate Venturing, Entrepreneurship, New Technologies.

Experience

  • Investment Professional at Wa'ed Ventures
    2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

    VC arm of Saudi Aramco, part of Aramco Ventures ($7B AUM), investing from Seed to Series C.

  • Senior Advisor at Astanor
    2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

    Senior Advisor to Astanor (~$1B AUM), a deep tech venture & growth fund focused on agri & food, with offices in Brussels, Paris and New-York

  • Senior Advisor at Capricorn Investment Group
    2024 - Present · 2 yrs 6 mos

    Senior Advisor to Capricorn Investment Group (~$12B AUM), a deep tech venture fund focused on climate solutions, based in Palo Alto and New York.

  • Investor at Angel Investor
    2017 - Present · 9 yrs 6 mos

    Angel investor backing early-stage startups and selected venture funds mainly across Europe and the Middle East.

  • ADQ (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
    • Senior Principal
      2023 - 2024 · 1 yr

      Venture & Growth (funds and direct) investor. Led portfolio value creation initiatives. Team transitioned into Lunate in 2023.

    • Senior Investment Manager
      2023 - 2023 · Less than a year

    • Investment Manager
      2021 - 2023 · 2 yrs