From tax advice, such as the concept of participation exemption, to helping corporates decide whether setting up a CVC unit is in their best interests, PwC is strengthening the professionalism of corporate venturing across multiple sectors and markets. In 2014 the advisory firm brought in CVC professional Mark Muth, formerly of Unilever Ventures, as a director to its London-based corporate finance team, to… Continue reading Consultancy Firm of the Year – PwC
Month: June 2015
Twenga successfully markets $11m series A
Corporate-backed IdInvest Partners has provided series A funding for the online advertising technology company.
Software Service Provider of the Year – Salesforce
Few businesses have made as big a wave as enterprise software producer Salesforce.com has over the past few years.
Merck’s Taranto looks to digital for data
“The future of healthcare is digital healthcare,” said Bill Taranto, head of the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund (GHIF), one of the main speakers at our London Global Corporate Venturing Symposium this week, and at our media partner TechTour’s Healthtech Summit in Lausanne on June 30 to July 1. Taranto has built Merck GHIF into… Continue reading Merck’s Taranto looks to digital for data
Karolinska forms partnership with Johnson & Johnson
Karolinska Institute has signed a collaboration agreement with Johnson & Johnson Innovation and a research agreement with its Janssen Pharmaceuticals subsidiary.
Financial Firm of the Year – Silicon Valley Bank
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has long been an integral cog in the corporate venturing engine, with its advisory business supporting many of the largest players in the industry. The firm has consistently balanced the needs of startups and corporate venturing units. Its venture debt is a flexible and welcome option to many company founders that… Continue reading Financial Firm of the Year – Silicon Valley Bank
Legal Firm of the Year – DLA Piper
DLA Piper has a specialised international practice dedicated to emerging growth and venture capital, with 200 lawyers in the US and 400 around the world who specifically serve entrepreneurs, technology companies and venture funds by focusing on private equity and venture capital transactions.
Sub-$50m Investment of the Year – Instacart
American Express Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of the eponymous financial services company, has tapped into what could be one of the fastest growing consumer IT investment stories in the past year, Instacart. Its move into the convenience grocery delivery segment has helped it win the sub-$50m investment award, highlighting new ways that financial services companies can strategically tap into the disruption of the retail sector.
Large Investment of the Year – Xiaomi
The series E funding marks a victory for Bin Lin and founder Lei Jun, as well as its corporate venturing backers such as Qualcomm Ventures – an early backer of the company. The funding was raised from investors including All-Stars Investment, DST Global, GIC, Hopu Fund, Yunfeng Capital and Ratan Tata, chairman Emeritus of India-based industrial group… Continue reading Large Investment of the Year – Xiaomi
Snapchat raises Alibaba-assisted $537m
The e-commerce company has contributed a possible $200m to what could eventually be a $650m series F round for the instant messaging service.
IPO of the Year: Alibaba
In the last week of September 2014, the financial news wires were white hot as Yahoo and Softbank-backed Alibaba priced its IPO at $68 per share, initially raising $21.8bn, before the China-based e-commerce company reported that it had sold additional shares in the company, making the listing the biggest in history.
M&A Exit of the Year: Beats – $3bn to Apple – Vivendi/Universal
Beats Electronics (Beats) comprises the ‘Beats by Dr. Dre’ line of premium consumer headphones and speakers, as well as patented Beats Audio software technology and streaming music subscription service Beats Music. Apple acquired Beats for a total of $3bn, consisting of a purchase price of approximately $2.6bn and approximately $400m that will vest over time. The company’s founders, artist and producer… Continue reading M&A Exit of the Year: Beats – $3bn to Apple – Vivendi/Universal
Generali to put $1.37bn into innovation push
The insurance company will partner with venture capital firms such as GGV Capital and Ribbit Capital as it looks to invest big in fintech innovation.
Salesforce finds the right Tempo for acquisition
Qualcomm and SingTel both exited the smart calendar app developer, which has been acquired by cloud computing company Salesforce for an undisclosed sum.