Global Investor Sets Sights On UAE As The Destination For Future Tech, Opens Family Office In Abu Dhabi

Apeiron Investment Group, the family office and private investment firm of renowned investor and entrepreneur Christian Angermayer, is expanding into the Middle East, announcing a senior addition to the UAE’s leadership team and the opening of an office at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). The move has been driven by Abu Dhabi’s leading investment role across the broader region, the significant growth potential for technology from the UAE, and the alignment between Apeiron’s focus sectors and the sectors within the UAE’s vision for economic diversification.

Apeiron’s new MENA Director, Salvatore Lavallo, joins the investment firm from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), where as Head of FDI Attraction he was instrumental in bringing many well-known international businesses to Abu Dhabi and promoting the Emirate’s investment landscape. Salvatore first came to Abu Dhabi in 2011 to study at New York University – Abu Dhabi, then joined McKinsey and Company’s Abu Dhabi Office, and was a Senior Advisor to the Tony Blair Institute before joining ADIO. He was also the youngest person to visit every country on earth.

Apeiron’s UAE presence will be led by Christian Angermayer with the support of in-region co-heads Aaron Weaver and Salvatore Lavallo. Aaron has been a senior member of Apeiron’s leadership team since 2019, having held executive and board positions across portfolio companies including Rejuveron Life Sciences, atai Life Sciences, and Alto Neuroscience.

Apeiron’s primary objective is to have significant long term economic impact in the UAE by:

1. Relocating and expanding the presence of portfolio companies to the UAE: Apeiron Investment Group will facilitate the establishment of operations in Abu Dhabi and the UAE for its network of 130+ portfolio companies. The companies will be selected based on their alignment with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. 
2. Catalyzing the UAE’s start-up environment, fostering the creation of new research collaborations, and enabling knowledge transfer with the Emirates: Apeiron will maintain regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi with a focus on venture building, which involves launching new start-ups that are strategically aligned to the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.

Apeiron’s five-year aspiration is to be one of the most significant contributors to the development of biotechnology (especially longevity, neurotech and mental health), synthetic biology (novel food technology and biomanufacturing), fintech and natural resources in the UAE. Apeiron hopes that the companies it forms in and brings to Abu Dhabi will create globally exportable technology and make the UAE the leading global source for these technologies.

Apeiron Investment Group is already an active investor in the UAE. Its US venture capital fund, Presight Capital, has begun to undertake venture investments in the UAE, with its first local investment being a seed investment (alongside well-known US venture fund, Y Combinator) into a UAE-based corporate spend management platform, Alaan. Apeiron is also an investor in Abu Dhabi based applied Artificial Intelligence company, called Applied Artificial Company (AAICO).

Christian Angermayer, Founder of Apeiron Investment Group, comments: “I have always admired the UAE’s can-do attitude towards innovation, investment and entrepreneurship and feel a powerful alignment with our own values. Apeiron’s expansion into the UAE represents a significant milestone in Apeiron’s growth strategy and I am excited about what we can do from Abu Dhabi in sectors like biotech, synthetic biology, fintech, and natural resources.

The move demonstrates Apeiron’s commitment to investing in innovative businesses and creating opportunities for local talent. I am grateful to all our partners in the Abu Dhabi government who have made this possible and look forward to working with them to deliver our shared vision for the future.”

According to Salvatore Lavallo, Apeiron’s MENA Director:

“I am excited to join a firm like Apeiron which is so clearly aligned with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.  Apeiron will contribute to the region’s economic development and investment landscape while advancing breakthroughs in biotechnology, synthetic biology, deep tech and climate tech clusters.  With its global network of companies Apeiron is poised to make a positive impact on Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a whole.”

Commenting on Apeiron Investment Group, Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief of Market Development at ADGM said: “We are delighted to welcome Apeiron Investment Group to ADGM. We are confident that ADGM’s dynamic ecosystem and progressive regulations will enable Apeiron Investment Group’s vision, supporting them in driving innovation and contributing to the continuous development of Abu Dhabi’s vibrant financial landscape, its strategic value to global finance and equally its advancements across key sectors.”