We develop our new ventures in-house all through our rigorous proof-of-concepts phase and pair them up with entrepreneurial teams and capital as they get ready to enter growth phase. Occasionally we invest in outside ventures and do what it takes to help our portfolio companies overcome the obstacles between vision and reality.
Kjartan Olafsson (Kjartan Örn Ólafsson) is an entrepreneur and
early stage investor with deep startup experience in Iceland and
in New York. Kjartan is the CEO of Transition Labs, an
initiative to accelerate the world's transition to a climate
positive future by deploying climate solutions at scale. He is a
partner at Brunnur Ventures, and the founder of Volta ehf. and
Basno Inc.
Previously Kjartan served as the Director of Business
Development for the media company Bertelsmann Inc. in New York
and worked closely with Bertelsmann portfolio companies in the
U.S. and U.K. on various digital media initiatives; including
SonyBMG Music, Random House, and Fremantle Media.
In addition to his commercial endeavors, Kjartan has
served on the board of many non-profits including Reykjavik Arts
Festival, Harpa Concert Hall, American Scandinavian Foundation
and as Chairman for UNICEF in Iceland.
Kjartan studied philosophy in Iceland and Italy, and
earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Ásta Sóllilja Guðmundsdóttir is Volta's CEO.
Before joining Volta, Ásta made her career in the biotech and
pharmaceutical industries, first as a Project Leader at Decode
Genetics Inc. and later as a Project Manager at Actavis Group PTC
ehf.
Ásta has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology
and a Master of Science degree in immunology from the University
of Iceland, a CSS in Management and Administration from Harvard
University, and an MBA-degree from Reykjavik University.
Ásta is active in the Icelandic innovation scene. She serves as
Business Development Manager and CFO at TTO Iceland. She has
served on the board of multiple early stage companies and
non-profits, including the healthtech startup Leviosa, Laki Power
a leading technology company transforming power grid intelligence,
and Listaverkasafn Valtýs Péturssonar a private art foundation,
and RUMBA, the alumni association for the Reykjavik University MBA
program.