b-business partners, the Stockholm-based venture capital firm, has hired Christoph Bellmer as managing director of its German operations, continuing the firm's plans to expand across its four European offices.

Bellmer will be based in Munich, where he will lead the firm's German business alongside Katrin Horstmann and Andreas Beaucamp. He was previously a board member at GE CompuNet, a General Electric company providing IT infrastructure, where he was responsible for sales. In October 2001, b-business hired Nils Albert, also from General Electric, as managing director the firm's London office. Earlier this month, Investor AB, the Swedish investment firm, increased its stake in b-business partners, buying out 90% of technology firm ABB's stake in the company. Investor AB and ABB founded b-business partners in March 2000. Investor AB paid €188m ($168m) for the stake, and ABB will retain a small holding in b-business.