NOVA by Saint-Gobain
Venture arm of Saint-Gobain (Compagnie de Saint-Gobain)
Also known as NOVA External Venturing, Saint-Gobain NOVA, NOVA External Ventures
Saint-Gobain's open-innovation and venture unit (since 2006), taking minority stakes, mainly seed to Series A, in construction-tech, materials and sustainability startups.
- HEADQUARTERS
- France
- FOUNDED
- 2006
- AUM
- —
- OUTSIDE CAPITAL
- No — own capital only
- TEAM LISTED
- 2 people
Focus
- STAGES
- SeedSeries A
- GEOGRAPHY
- Global
Overview
NOVA is the Saint-Gobain team in charge of partnerships with startups and venture investments, created in 2006; Maddyness reported in 2015 that it had no legal entity of its own and a six-person team across Paris, Asia and the USA. It invests from Saint-Gobain's balance sheet in early-stage companies, primarily seed to Series A, linked to the group's materials and construction businesses and adjacent areas such as digital, sustainability and robotics. In September 2025 it led the $11M Series A of LightYX, and in April 2026 it joined the Series B of solar-panel recycler SOLAR MATERIALS.
PORTFOLIO (3)
- SOLAR MATERIALSClimate & Energy · since 2026
- LightYXReal Estate & PropTech · since 2025
- QivivoClimate & Energy · since 2015
People
Links
Frequently asked questions
NOVA by Saint-Gobain is a corporate venture arm based in France, founded in 2006.
Yes. NOVA by Saint-Gobain invests its own capital in private companies.
NOVA by Saint-Gobain invests at Seed and Series A stages in Industrial & Manufacturing, Climate & Energy and Real Estate & PropTech.
Key people at NOVA by Saint-Gobain include Basma Kharrat (Vice President, External Venturing) and Sven Harmsen (Director of External Ventures).
NOVA by Saint-Gobain's investments include SOLAR MATERIALS, LightYX and Qivivo.
The most recent publicly reported investment by NOVA by Saint-Gobain is SOLAR MATERIALS (Series B), announced in Apr 2026.
No. NOVA by Saint-Gobain invests its own capital and does not raise money from outside investors.