Maria Ksenia Witte
Founder of Arise Innovations®
I give institutions and science-based ventures an independent view of what to fund, change or stop – connecting technical evidence, commercial reality and capital allocation.
My work spans 13+ years, 250+ cases, and 25+ programmes and ecosystems, with €100M+ in allocation exposure. Clients engage me for judgement they can use and defend – from one-off decisions to a design of a programme or a framework.
Built inside industry –
not just from theory
Before founding Arise Innovations®, I spent several years working hands-on inside companies that research, develop and commercialise scientifically and technically complex products.
My industry experience includes Volkswagen, SGS, BERLIN-CHEMIE Menarini, nanoPET Pharma, AudioCure Pharma, Eurofins and ifp. I worked across laboratory research, analytical development, quality systems, industrial R&D, technology transfer, pharmaceutical development, product lifecycle management, CMC, public funding and industrialisation.
I have experienced lab-to-market work from inside the organisations responsible for delivering it. That operating experience now shapes how I assess technologies, ventures and innovation programmes.
Selected speaking engagements
Life Science Start-Up Day: Expert session on investor readiness, founder narratives and the challenges in life sciences.
World Quantum Summit Paris: Speaker on Quantum Lab-to-Market Initiative Design and Tech Sovereignty
Beyond venture capital
Speaker on financing strategies and the relationship between capital and autonomy.
Cybersecurity Bootcamp 2025: Facilitated a community-building session for European researchers exploring lab-to-market.
Female leadership & science entrepreneurship: Speaker and panellist on diversity, leadership and decision-making in the quantum industry
QSECDEF: Keynote "From Lab to Leverage: Reverse-Engineering Quantum Ventures for Capital and Industry"
A clear basis for the next move.
Five questions structure my QUATISE® methodology.
1. State – Where are you now, beyond the headline metrics?
2. Constraint – What is actually limiting the next transition?
3. Evidence – Which claims are supported, and what remains uncertain?
4. Route – Which path is defensible given the technical, commercial and capital realities?
5. Decision condition – What must be true to continue, adapt or stop?
Based in Berlin. Working worldwide.