Taiwo Ilesanmi

Taiwo Ilesanmi is the Managing Director at BASF Venture Capital and the Managing Director of BASF Operations LFTZ Enterprise, currently based in Lagos, Nigeria. In his venture capital capacity, he directs corporate investments for parent company BASF SE, supporting a global operation that maintains 15 employees across seven international offices and an active portfolio of 49 companies. His investment mandate targets technology startups that enable strategic collaborations within the chemicals sector, resulting in financial backing for notable companies such as LanzaTech and Oceanworks. As part of this ongoing strategy, he recently facilitated BASF Venture Capital's co-investment in a $16 million Series A funding round for ph7 Technologies in March 2023. Ilesanmi's career focuses on bridging corporate venture capital with operational expansion, driving strategic technology investments alongside regional industrial growth initiatives within the Lagos Free Zone.