AAA Comment – Page 148

The UK’s new Business Growth Fund

In July, six of the UK’s largest banks joined forces with the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) to form the Business Finance Task Force. The Task Force – consisting of Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Standard Chartered – was set up to examine how banks can do more to help… Continue reading The UK’s new Business Growth Fund

Reed Elsevier Ventures: market maps showed way to generate dealflow

Reed Elsevier Ventures is one of the few corporate funds set up in 2000 – the heady days of the dot.com bubble – to be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Diana Noble, a former partner at Schroder Ventures (now Permira), was persuaded to lead it and first to join her was Tony Askew. Kevin Brown followed as a principal and was promoted to partner the next year. Noble stepped down as managing partner at the end of 2004 to join the William J Clinton Foundation and Askew took the reins. The three of them discussed with editor James Mawson in last month’s issue how the venturing team was originally architected and, in this second article, Reed Elsevier Ventures’ approach to investing.

Reality of decision-making at big companies unveiled

Software AG, the second-largest software vendor in Germany, examined how and whether to set up a corporate venturing unit and decided against it a few days before gaining expected ratification from the full board. Global Corporate Venturing editor James Mawson spoke to Frederic Hanika, senior vice-president and head of mergers and acquisitions.