Former Nokia Technologies C-Suite Executive Stavros Kyris Joins Sisvel to Build Ventures Unit

Stavros Kyris, former Chief Strategy, Financial and Operating Officer of Nokia Technologies, has joined Sisvel to lead the formation of Sisvel Ventures, a unit exploring IP-based business projects outside Sisvel's core standard essential patent pool licensing. The Financial Post reported the appointment on October 27, 2026.

Kyris's Nokia Background and the Ventures Mandate

Kyris held senior roles at Nokia and was Chief Strategy, Financial and Operating Officer of Nokia Technologies from 2019 until earlier this year. Before that, he spent five years as Chief of Staff to Nokia's CEO, having formerly worked in corporate business development, strategy and M&A at the company.

Sisvel Ventures will identify and develop IP-based business projects that do not sit within Sisvel's established SEP pool licensing operation. The unit will draw on expertise within the broader company while functioning separately from it. Senior Sisvel executives Matteo Sabattini and Leonardo Saroni will join Kyris in building the new unit.

"Sisvel Ventures is an exciting endeavour that I am delighted to help launch," Kyris said. "Sisvel has a reputation for its bold, entrepreneurial approach and with the number of exciting opportunities now emerging in the IP space, this is the ideal time to leverage the wide-ranging technical and commercial knowledge inside the firm in this way."

Sisvel CEO and President Mattia Fogliacco said: "Someone with Stavros's experience and expertise always has considerable options, so it is a real coup for Sisvel that he has decided to come on board." Fogliacco added that with Matteo and Leonardo also involved, Sisvel Ventures has an exceptionally strong team, and that it has been designed to operate in areas not covered by the pools business, which will always be the mainstay of Sisvel's long-term strategy.

Sisvel's Patent Pool Activity This Year

According to akta.pro company records, Sisvel launched a Point-of-Sale patent pool covering 2G to 5G cellular technologies in April 2026, with Huawei, LG Electronics and Nokia as founding licensors. The pool grew to more than 40 licensors within roughly two months. The same records show Sisvel issued a call for patents to launch a new Ultra Ethernet pool in April 2026, marking entry into an adjacent technology domain beyond cellular, Wi-Fi and IoT.

Earlier Sisvel Leadership Appointments

Sisvel appointed Joff Wild as its first Head of Content and Strategic Communications, AETOSWire reported in July 2026, after a 30-year journalism career including founding IAM. Wild will create new offerings for Sisvel's partners and share expertise with the patent community. In the same month, AETOSWire reported that Jukka Nihtilä joined Sisvel as head of Business Development, previously leading the same function at Nokia Technologies, working from Sisvel's Barcelona office.