Yvan-Michel Ehkirch

Yvan-Michel Ehkirch is the Managing Partner at Karista, a venture capital firm focused on digital, deep tech, space, and defense investments. He began his career in 1991, spending a decade in marketing and business development roles at international software vendors, including Dassault Systèmes and Engineering Animation Inc., which is now part of Siemens PLM. Transitioning to venture capital in 2001, Ehkirch has spent over two decades backing early-stage technology companies and currently serves on the boards of Exotrail and Stereolabs. His investment track record includes several notable portfolio exits, such as the acquisition of hardware developer Sevenhugs by Qorvo and the sale of Comitéo to Natixis. Equipped with a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from ESIEA, Ehkirch focuses on scaling European deep tech and aerospace ventures from early development through strategic acquisitions.