The poor performance of the Facebook initial public offering preceded a slowdown in corporate venturing activity in a turbulent third quarter. (Click for charts) The headlines from July to September have been full of economic turmoil, from concerns about the slowdown of China, to talk of a full bail-out of Spain, and the US Federal… Continue reading Corporates pull back in Q3
Category: Analysis
Alternative investments: memorabilia
We have said goodbye to lazy afternoons in London parks and drinking 2012 Pimms – a Jubilee and Olympic vintage! Looking back, I realised something was weaving in all these alternative investment columns, from wine to impact investing or art, a sacrosanct concept repeated like an Andy Warhol diptych – constrained supply and growing demand… Continue reading Alternative investments: memorabilia
The Big Deal: LifeLock breaks corporate IPO frost
Be braced for Workday, or another IPO to pop, to see the market heat up again. Until, of course, investors are sold another extraordinarily over-priced listing, like Facebook turned out to be, at least for those investing over the short-term.
The Big Deals: Indeed and Zeebox
Perhaps one should be perusing the marriage updates section of old media dealmaking, instead of harping on about those venerable old things that have died?
The Big Deal: iRobot evolves
A large patent portfolio bought by iRobot in its acquisition of Evolution, doubtless has been of interest to its corporate venturing unit backer Vodafone Ventures.
The Big Deal: Renren’s SoFi
Moving into financial services opens up a very large business, which the wisdom of crowds and big data analytics can be applied to make more and hopefully better investment decisions at a lower cost.
Deal analysis: August 2012
Much as the world’s athletes impressed with their vigour in London’s Olympics this year, corporate venturing executives demonstrated their tenacity this summer with a marked spike in dealmaking in August. Global Corporate Venturing tracked 103 investments in corporate venturing-backed companies in August worth $1.8bn, up significantly against the 81 deals worth $1.3bn in July. It… Continue reading Deal analysis: August 2012
Analysis: chief innovation officers
Global Corporate Venturing tracks more than 40 chief innovation officers at corporations and this article is the start of a series looking at how business strategy is shaping corporate venturing and innovation teams.
Analysis: early-stage investing
Corporate venturing fuels early-stage explosion.
Most influential: media September 2012
Click here for the list of the top 75 most influential corporate venturing units with a media sector-focussed parent.
Feature: Media, September 2012
Media in motion as change in the sector encourages a spate of dealmaking and corporate venturing unit launches on the back of a series of large flotations.
Innovative region: Brazil
Innovation ecosystem comes alive ahead of major events.
Profile/Case study: Mail.ru
There is a saying that by aiming for the stars you might miss but still hit the moon. However, if the people connected to Russia-based internet services group Mail.ru ever thought about this they would regard it as unduly pessimistic. Their own development in creating a business that dominates the Russian-language internet market has also… Continue reading Profile/Case study: Mail.ru
Utilities through Telefonica’s prism
This column will examine through the prism of Spain-based Telefonica why it is that many companies in the telecoms sector have caught the corporate venturing bug in a big way. Last week, Telefonica raised a €300m ($377m) corporate venturing group of funds, named Amerigo (name-checking the discoverer of South America, Amerigo Vespucci). At the same… Continue reading Utilities through Telefonica’s prism