Hailo, a UK-based taxi application for mobile devices, has raised $30.6m from a consortium including Japan-based phone operator KDDI. KDDI signed an exclusive partnership leveraging its 35 million subscribers to support Hailo’s launches in Asia, starting with Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo has 40,000 taxis and the Japanese taxi market is estimated at $25bn, Hailo said. Venture… Continue reading Hailo flags down $30.6m
Month: February 2013
Novian Health grows with $11m
Novian is looking to raise a further $2.5m in its A round.
St Joseph Health joins Cleveland
St Joseph Health, a $5bn health system, became the first founding member of the Innovation Institute, which has also set up a strategic alliance with Cleveland Clinic.
Goodbye Dragon, Hello Snake
n our own corporate news, it was announced at the end of last week that Global Corporate Venturing was teaming up with top advisory firms DLA Piper, Bell Mason Group, and Silicon Valley Bank on a Corporate Venture and Innovation Initiative. We could not be more excited about working with these top firms to help corporates better work together, and one of the most important areas of our focus will be attempting to help our clients grapple with the demands of tapping into innovation in a global world.
Big deals catch the eye
Last month there were 68 investments worth $1.2bn, compared with 97 investments worth $1.9bn in January last year and 61 worth $996m in December.
Russian spirit warms to innovation
Maria Netaeva, a 20-something public relations professional for Russian technology consultancy and accelerator Global TechInnovations (GTI), demonstrates the innate entrepreneurial spirit of many Russians, which for years was suppressed, by holding out her hand to hail a car. “You don’t need a taxi,” she said “many people like to earn a little extra money.” Three… Continue reading Russian spirit warms to innovation
Joachim von Heimburg: governance and culture
Corporate venturing is becoming an important tool for big companies to complement internally driven innovation activities. However, becoming a serious player in corporate venturing requires governance principles and creates cultural dynamics that do not fit easily into existing corporate environments. This article discusses those challenges in detail and suggests ways to deal with them. Read the full article on page 31 of our February magazine.
Gabriel Broner: Ericsson Innova explored
This is an extract from an article by Gabriel Broner about Ericsson Innova, the innovation project he started. The full article can be found on page 27 of our February magazine, linked to in this article.
Eric Ball: What VCs can learn from academics
This article is an extract from the beginning of Eric Ball’s February magazine piece on how academic thinking can inform venture investing. For Ball’s full article, please go to page 22 of our February magazine.
Boris Battistini interview: Portrait of an industry
The latest crop of corporate venturing units has transformed parent companies at 77% of units, according to research into 48 of the largest companies in venturing. This is an interview with the study’s author, Swiss university ETH Zurich’s Boris Battistini, based on the article The State of Corporate Venturing, co-authored by Fredrik Hacklin and Pius… Continue reading Boris Battistini interview: Portrait of an industry
Crispin Leick: The perfect opportunity
The past five years have been difficult for shareholders of European utilities. An average decline in the share prices of nearly two-thirds as reflected by the ESTX utility index is difficult to digest. Even taking the strong dividend payments into account, the value destruction is still above 50% before inflation. Is this the end of… Continue reading Crispin Leick: The perfect opportunity
Gaule dines on Roth’s wisdom
In our series of interviews with leading innovation and venture developers, Andrew Gaule, founder of the Corven Corporate Venturing Network, talks to David Roth, managing partner, Innovestment Partners and Get Stirred Up
WPP Digital: Eyes on the digital age
The corporate venturing strategy of UK-based communications services group WPP was handed a big win last year when it sold US-based social marketing company Buddy Media to US-based cloud technology company Salesforce for $745m. Mark Read, chief executive of WPP Digital, said 32% of WPP’s portfolio was digital, adding “one of the things we are… Continue reading WPP Digital: Eyes on the digital age
Deal profile: Mobeam scans Yet2 funding
Services companies can use their varied client network for feedback on prospective investments. Those companies that get the client vote can start doing business instantly with a wide client base. Such was the case for Yet2Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of technology marketplace Yet2.com, which was able to make a quick decision to invest in… Continue reading Deal profile: Mobeam scans Yet2 funding