AAA March 2017 – Page 10

Month: March 2017

Venturing’s key role in Ant Financial’s global ambitions

The Chinese government in late 2014 said that it would reduce bureaucratic barriers to foreign M&A as part of its Go Global policy aimed at encouraging Chinese companies to expand abroad. This regulatory change has had the intended effect, fuelling outbound investment by China-based companies. Take Ant Financial, the financial services affiliate of and spinoff… Continue reading Venturing’s key role in Ant Financial’s global ambitions

BÜFA capitalises on digital technology

In April 2016,  BÜFA created a new logo and slogan – Neue Chemie or New Chemistry. Can you explain what this means? Does the idea of “new chemistry” relate to the industry 4.0 concept, the automation drive that is transforming the manufacturing sector? “New chemistry” does not necessarily have to do with industry 4.0 and… Continue reading BÜFA capitalises on digital technology

BASF bets on nanotechnology

Kaloyan Andonov speaks to Markus Solibieda, managing director of BASF Venture Capital, the venturing arm of the Germany-based chemicals producer, joined the company last November and has now replaced Dirk Nachtigal, who built and ran the unit for 15 years.

HTGF’s German tech vantage point

Philipp Rittershaus, a life sciences specialist and investment manager at Germany-based venture capital firm High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), is keen to find health and medical applications for industrial technologies. “Innovation can be created by applying a technology from the industrial sector to the medical field and developing new tools,” noted Rittershaus, citing HTGF’s investment in orthopaedic… Continue reading HTGF’s German tech vantage point

OATV helps decorate $8m Chairish series B

US-based vintage furniture marketplace Chairish has raised $8m in a series B round that featured O’Reilly Alpha Tech Ventures (OATV), the corporate venturing arm of media company O’Reilly Media. Venture capital firm Altos Ventures led the round, while fellow VC firm Azure Capital Partners also participated. Chairish operates a curated online marketplace focused on vintage… Continue reading OATV helps decorate $8m Chairish series B

Industrials invest record sum in digitisation drive

GCV Analytics defines the industrial sector as companies involved with manufacturing equipment, advanced materials, industrial chemicals, agriculture and agtech, 3D printing, robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles, space and satellite technologies, and defence technology, as well as other industrial applications. GCV tracked 158 rounds involving corporate investors from the industrial sector for the period between February… Continue reading Industrials invest record sum in digitisation drive

Comcast Ventures adds value

Spotlight on diversity: Kai Bond, principal at Comcast Ventures and leader of the Comcast Ventures Catalyst Fund, spoke to Nicole Idar Lee about the importance of persistence as an entrepreneur of colour, his move from entrepreneur to investor and his interest in frontier tech

Intel Capital: investing in inclusion

Trina Van Pelt is vice-president and managing director of semiconductor manufacturer Intel’s corporate venturing unit, where she leads the internet-of-things and automated driving groups and co-leads the $125m Intel Capital Diversity Fund. She spoke to features editor Nicole Idar Lee about inclusion, encouraging portfolio companies to diversify their management teams and the satisfaction of helping… Continue reading Intel Capital: investing in inclusion