Moonfare's strength lies in the diversity and depth of expertise found across all aspects of the business.
Moonfare is led by a team of talented professionals from leading investment and technology companies including KKR, Apax Partners, J.P. Morgan, McKinsey & Company, BCG, NetJets, Microsoft and N26.
Founder, Chairman and Co-CEO
Steffen founded Moonfare in 2016 with the vision to democratize private investing. He runs the company as Chairman and Co-CEO. Steffen is a serial entrepreneur with a strong background in the private equity industry. Before becoming an entrepreneur Steffen served as a Managing Director of private equity at KKR. While at KKR, he was responsible for the firm’s coverage of the German market. Prior to joining KKR, he was co-founder and served as Chief Executive Officer of firstfive AG. He served as Chairman of The Supervisory Board at A.T.U Auto-Teile-Unger Investment GmbH & Co. KG and as a member of the Advisory Board at Versatel, Serbia Broadband and Hertha BSC. Steffen holds a B.A. with high distinction from the University of Mannheim and the Ecole Superieure des Sciences Economiques and a Ph.D. from the University of Trier. He worked as a research assistant at Harvard University where he wrote his master thesis. Steffen lives in Munich with his wife and children.
Founder, Chairman and Co-CEO
Co-CEO and Managing Director
As Co-Chief Executive Officer Lorenz runs Moonfare alongside Founder Steffen Pauls. He was formerly the firm’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, leading research and development, finance, operations, and compliance. Lorenz has extensive product development and operational experience with seed and scale-up tech companies. Before he joined Moonfare he oversaw the development of digital bank N26's product line, and advised early stage and start-up tech companies. He also spent 12 years at McKinsey, six as a partner, advising globally on energy and basic materials companies. Lorenz is a physicist by training and holds a PhD in material science. He and his wife live in Berlin.
Co-CEO and Managing Director
Managing Director, CIO
Magnus runs Private Equity for Moonfare, ensuring that our investors have access to a steady flow of top-tier private equity funds. He brings considerable experience from private equity, both as an investor with Apax Partners, and as an operator in Cole Haan, one of the fund’s portfolio companies. While at Apax Partners, Magnus advised on a number of transactions in the consumer and retail industry. At Cole Haan, a high-end manufacturer and retailer of footwear and leather goods based in New York, Magnus was responsible for building and executing corporate strategy. Prior to joining Apax Partners, Magnus spent several years at J.P. Morgan in London advising on Consumer, Healthcare and Retail transactions. Magnus earned an MSc with a focus in Finance from Stockholm School of Economics and his MBA from Harvard Business School. In his free time Magnus practices his passions of sports, cooking and photography.
Managing Director, CIO
CCO
Marine is responsible for setting the global direction of all Moonfare’s activities around marketing, direct sales and customer service. She is leading the go-to-market teams to ensure a unique experience for Moonfare’s customers. Before joining Moonfare, Marine served as a Managing Director at the fractional jet ownership provider Flexjet, responsible for the firm's international launch; designing and executing a go-to-market plan which led to the expansion of their renowned fractional jet programme into Europe in 2021. Before Flexjet, she spent fifteen years for the world largest jet democratising company NetJets, a Berkshire Hathaway company, where she attained the role of Executive Director, Head of Sales EMEA and sat on the company executive leadership committee. Her extensive experience in fractionalising private jets aligns closely with Moonfare's client base, customer acquisition strategies, and commercial approach. She has a Masters in International Business, Asian Affairs with English & Chinese Mandarin, from the International Affairs College at Le Havre University.
CCO
Our Board of Directors provides expertise honed from decades of steering global businesses and hands-on investing in private equity.
Founder, Chairman and Co-CEO
Founder, Chairman and Co-CEO
Steffen founded Moonfare in 2016 with the vision to democratize private investing. He runs the company as Chairman and Co-CEO. Steffen is a serial entrepreneur with a strong background in the private equity industry. Before becoming an entrepreneur Steffen served as a Managing Director of private equity at KKR. While at KKR, he was responsible for the firm’s coverage of the German market. Prior to joining KKR, he was co-founder and served as Chief Executive Officer of firstfive AG. He served as Chairman of The Supervisory Board at A.T.U Auto-Teile-Unger Investment GmbH & Co. KG and as a member of the Advisory Board at Versatel, Serbia Broadband and Hertha BSC. Steffen holds a B.A. with high distinction from the University of Mannheim and the Ecole Superieure des Sciences Economiques and a Ph.D. from the University of Trier. He worked as a research assistant at Harvard University where he wrote his master thesis. Steffen lives in Munich with his wife and children.
Professor of Financial Management
Professor of Financial Management
Heinrich is a Co-founder of Moonfare and supports Moonfare as a Board Member, strategic advisor and Chairman of Asia. Heinrich is a Professor in the MBA and Executive Programs at IESE Business School and the Chairman of the Munich Campus of IESE. He specializes in entrepreneurial finance, management of wealth and governance of entrepreneurial families. Heinrich is co-author on several publications on private equity. His ongoing research in this field focuses on operational value creation in private equity, impact investing and governance of entrepreneurial families. As a consultant he collaborated with leading families and financial institutions and serves on the board of family controlled foundations. Prior to his academic career, Professor Liechtenstein was engaged in the family-owned Liechtenstein Global Trust (LGT) dealing with ultra high net worth individuals. He also advised families within the Boston Consulting Group and established and sold two successful businesses. Heinrich holds a Ph.D. in Managerial Science and Applied Economics from The Economics School of Vienna, Austria, a Master’s degree in Business Administration from IESE Business School, and a BSc in Business Economics from the University of Graz. Heinrich lives in Barcelona and Munich.
Former CEO of ProSiebenSat.1
Former CEO of ProSiebenSat.1
Thomas supports Moonfare as a Board Member and strategic advisor. Until recently, Thomas served as Chairman of Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of ProSieben Digital Media GmbH, a position he held since 2009. Prior to joining ProSieben, Thomas served as Chief Executive Officer of multiple divisions of Novartis AG including Novartis Pharma AG, Pharmaceuticals at Novartis Consumer Health, Inc., Novartis Nutrition World Wide, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Division. He also served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Torrent Systems, Inc. Thomas worked with Pepsi-Cola in Germany as a Marketing Manager, before becoming Marketing Director and National Sales and Franchise Director. Prior to working for Pepsi-Cola, Thomas served in several positions at Reemstma Germany. He has been a Member of Supervisory Board at Bayer Aktiengesellschaft (also know as Bayer AG), Member of the Supervisory Board at GfK SE, Member of Advisory Board at UBS Oncology Impact Fund, and Director of Cullinan Oncology, LLC. He serves as a member of the advisory boards of Sivantos, a world leading hearing aid company. Previously, Thomas served as an Independent Director of Lonza Group Ltd and Director of Idenix Pharmaceuticals Inc. Mr. Ebeling holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Hamburg.
Managing Director Europe, Fidelity
Managing Director Europe, Fidelity
Christian joined Fidelity in August 2018 as Managing Director Europe and is responsible for managing the wholesale and institutional client-facing businesses across Europe. He serves as a member of the Moonfare advisory board since 2021. Christian worked for some of the financial sector's most respected names including BlackRock, Allianz Asset Management, UBS and PIMCO. He has worked in the US, Asia, where he spent three years, and Europe. He has experience of managing large businesses at scale, as well as broad responsibility for distribution across all business lines in Europe, and global responsibility for major client relationships. He trained initially as an investment analyst and extended his investment knowledge further at PIMCO. Christian graduated in Finance from the University of St. Gallen and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School; he is also a CFA Charterholder.
Managing Director, Insight Partners
Managing Director, Insight Partners
Matt joined Insight in 2010 and invests globally in high-growth businesses across fintech, digital commerce, cybersecurity, and healthcare IT. He has served as a member of the Moonfare advisory board since 2021. Matt graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in finance and engineering.
Our US Advisory Board brings deep leadership skills and a unique understanding of Moonfare's role in the democratization of private markets.
CEO, Parker Group & Managing Partner Parker Ventures
CEO, Parker Group & Managing Partner Parker Ventures
Polansky co-founded the Parker Foundation in 2010 with acclaimed entrepreneur and philanthropist Sean Parker and currently serves as Executive Director. Prior to joining the Parker Group, Polansky was with Bridgewater and Founders Fund, where he focused on consumer internet and emerging technology. In addition to his work with the Parker Foundation, Polansky is also the Managing Partner at Parker Ventures, CEO of the Parker Group, and a board member of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Polansky is also the co-founder of Avos Capital Management, a privately held investment firm managing tailored portfolios for high net worth individuals and families. He is a graduate of Harvard University with a degree in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science.
Partner, Sageview Capital
Partner, Sageview Capital
Dean Nelson joins Moonfare’s Board with over forty years of experience in venture capital, private equity, and consulting. Nelson served as CEO and Founder of KKR Capstone and as a Managing Director of KKR, a global investment firm that manages investments across multiple asset classes including private equity, energy, infrastructure, and real estate. He is currently a Partner at Sageview Capital, a private investment firm focused on partnering with industry-defining innovators to build enduring software and tech-enabled businesses. He is a member of numerous boards including DISQO, XSELL Technologies, Theatro, Aceable, CallRail, Atmosphere, and 360insights.com.
The Moonfare Investment Team is responsible for deal sourcing, due diligence and curation of funds.
Managing Director, CIO
Managing Director, CIO
Magnus runs Private Equity for Moonfare, ensuring that our investors have access to a steady flow of top-tier private equity funds. He brings considerable experience from private equity, both as an investor with Apax Partners, and as an operator in Cole Haan, one of the fund’s portfolio companies. While at Apax Partners, Magnus advised on a number of transactions in the consumer and retail industry. At Cole Haan, a high-end manufacturer and retailer of footwear and leather goods based in New York, Magnus was responsible for building and executing corporate strategy. Prior to joining Apax Partners, Magnus spent several years at J.P. Morgan in London advising on Consumer, Healthcare and Retail transactions. Magnus earned an MSc with a focus in Finance from Stockholm School of Economics and his MBA from Harvard Business School. In his free time Magnus practices his passions of sports, cooking and photography.
Head of Co-Investments
Head of Co-Investments
Sanjay is Moonfare’s Head of Co-Investments. Before Moonfare, he was Head of Private Equity Investing at Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) in London. He has also held senior investment roles at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Adveq (now Schroders Capital), as well as an investment banking role with Lehman Brothers.
