Fundraising Fox

Chris Haase

Investor

Investor at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures

Houston, Texas

Writes $2M – $20M checks · typically $11M

About

Chris Haase is co-founder, president, and CEO of Gadolyn, which commercializes DIRECT, a DARPA-sponsored solid-state rare earth alloy production platform and 2025 Global R&D 100 Award winner. He is a DOD Fellow and DOE Oppenheimer Fellow with over 25 years of experience in venture capital, critical materials commercialization, and defense technology, including previous service as director of the U.S. Critical Materials Institute, a $250 million DOE Innovation Hub. Haase has held operational roles across five venture and innovation vehicles including Aramco Ventures, Shell Ventures, and GE Ventures, with involvement in over 112 transactions and joint ventures exceeding $2 billion in cumulative value, and holds six patents in downhole communications, additive manufacturing, and advanced materials.

Experience

  1. GadolynCo-Founder, President & CEOcurrent2025 — presentAustin, Texas Metropolitan Area
  2. Wolftree GroupFounder & Managing Partnercurrent2024 — presentAustin, Texas Metropolitan Area
  3. CarbonCapture Inc.Board Observer2023 — 2024Los Angeles, California, United States
  4. DEXMATBoard Observer2023 — 2024Houston, TX
  5. Syzygy PlasmonicsBoard Observer2022 — 2024Houston, Texas, United States
  6. Aramco VenturesInvestment Director2021 — 2024Houston, Texas, United States
  7. Utility GlobalBoard Observer2021 — 2024Houston, Texas, United States
  8. AramcoTechnology Commercialization and Deployment Lead2019 — 2021Dhahran Al-Janoub Governorate, Saudi Arabia
  9. Critical Materials Institute, an Energy Innovation Hub, Ames Laboratory at Iowa State UniversityDirector2018 — 2019Ames, Iowa
  10. GE VenturesSenior Director2017 — 2018Houston, Texas Area
  11. Shell Global Solutions International BVPrincipal Venture Planning and Implementation Advisor2013 — 2017The Hague Area, Netherlands
  12. Shell Global Solutions International BVPrincipal Business Advisor to CTO and EVP, Innovation R&D2011 — 2013The Hague Area, Netherlands
  13. Shell Global Solutions International BVManager External Research (Americas/Africa)2009 — 2011Houston, Texas Area
  14. Shell Global Solutions International BVGameChanger2008 — 2009Houston, Texas Area
  15. BHP Billiton PetroleumSenior Analyst, Competitive Intelligence2005 — 2008Houston, Texas Area
  16. BTG International Inc.Associate Vice President, Ventures2001 — 2005Greater Philadelphia Area
  17. Shell Technology VenturesVenture Manager, Shell Technology Ventures1998 — 2001The Hague Area, Netherlands
  18. Shell Technology VenturesPetrophysicist1998 — 1999The Hague Area, Netherlands
  19. Glynn ScientificSenior Scientist1996 — 1998Washington D.C. Metro Area
  20. United States Naval AcademyAdjunct Professor1997Washington D.C. Metro Area

Education

  1. University of ChicagoPh.D., Applied Mathematics1990 — 1996
  2. Stanford UniversityProfessional Certificate, Strategic Decision and Risk Management2014 — 2016
  3. University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of BusinessExecutive Education, Open Innovation & Corporate Entrepreneurship2009
  4. Harvard Business SchoolExecutive Education, Venture Capital and Private Equity2003
  5. Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus UniversityMBA, Finance1999 — 2000
  6. The Ohio State UniversityBS, Mathematics1986 — 1990

Skills & more

Strategic InvestmentCritical materialsDefense TechnologyTechnology acquisitionDecision AnalysisMaterials ScienceTechnology strategyBoard GovernanceCarbon CaptureTechnology DevelopmentSustainability1Cleantech1
+12 moreRare EarthsTechnology CommercializationR&D ManagementInternational Joint VenturesInnovation ManagementCorporate Venture CapitalBusiness StrategyEntrepreneurshipVenture CapitalBusiness DevelopmentStrategyManagement

Languages Dutch · English · Frisian · German

  • Extra Class Radio Operator — Federal Communications Commission
  • FEMA Emergency Management Institute, IS-100, IS-200, IS-700A, IS-800B — FEMA

From Chris's professional profile.

Colleagues at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures

Balsam Alsaif
Head of FoF Investments at Prosperity7 Ventures
Daniel Carter
Managing Director at Aramco Ventures
Iris Wu
Associate at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures
Mohammad Qatomah
Analyst at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures
Moodhi Al Tubayyeb
Associate at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures
Sohail Malik
Investor at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures
Tariq Alnahari
Analyst at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures
Ted Randall
Analyst at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures

Network6

Balsam Alsaif
Head of FoF Investments at Prosperity7 Ventures
Daniel Carter
Managing Director at Aramco Ventures
Iris Wu
Associate at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures
Mohammad Qatomah
Analyst at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures
Moodhi Al Tubayyeb
Associate at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures
Ted Randall
Analyst at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures

Investors connected to Chris in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.

Frequently asked questions

Where does Chris Haase work?
Chris Haase is Investor at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures.
What check size does Chris Haase write?
Chris Haase typically writes checks of $2M – $20M.

Same school

Also attended Stanford University2,000

Peter ThielCo-founder & Partner at Founders FundReid HoffmanCo-founder of LinkedIn; Partner at GreylockDavid SacksCo-founder & General Partner at Craft Ventures; PCAST co-chair; former White House AI & crypto czarKeith RaboisManaging Director at Khosla VenturesGarry TanPresident & CEO of Y CombinatorAlfred LinPartner at Sequoia Capital

+ 1,994 more

Also attended University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business583

Mark FiorentinoInvestor at Index VenturesRishi ModiInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Yibo NianInvestment Director at Intel CapitalZhenyu TangInvestment Director at Intel CapitalHariFellow at Clear VenturesDennisDirector of Trading at Pantera Capital

+ 577 more

Also attended Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University165

Julian LuttermanInvestor at DN CapitalWouterHead of Nomads (Fund-of-Fund) at Hummingbird VenturesNoah FreyFinance Analyst at Emerald Technology Ventures AgJeroen PlinkVenture Partner at LegalTechCraig CimoroniHead of Business Development and Investor Relations at BTECH CONSORTIUMYang TranPartner at Zero Prime Ventures

+ 159 more

Also attended The Ohio State University109

Keatten SmithCapital Formation Coordinator at March Capital PartnersSara Risch, PhDAdvisor at CincyTechWill McKelveyPrincipal at Lerer HippeauLaura SebastianiVP of Finance at Scale Venture PartnersSuresh BalasubramanianInvestor at Storm VenturesJohn D. SimonExecutive Venture Partner at Caduceus Capital Partners

+ 103 more

Shared employers

Also worked at Aramco Ventures22

Qasem KharbatHead of Business Development at Prosperity7 VenturesBalsam AlsaifHead of FoF Investments at Prosperity7 VenturesYara AlTamimiInvestment Manager at Prosperity7 VenturesHaitham AlsahfyFounding Board Member at Fintactics VenturesMajid MuftiVice Chairman at SVCBruce NivenChief Investment Officer at Aramco Ventures

+ 16 more

Also worked at Shell Global Solutions International BV101

Rob van der MeijPartner at Capricorn Venture PartnersElina HolkkoPartner and CFO at Lifeline VenturesKatie ClasenPartner at Prelude VenturesSamuel MugoyaGeneral Partner Advisor at Beyond Capital VenturesBikram DangInvestor Relations at Group 11Mira InbarPartner at ArcTern Ventures

+ 95 more

Also worked at BTG International Inc.1

Dominik LeisiInvestment Manager at Atlantic Bridge Ventures