It is hard to find points of light at a time when American unemployment claims hit a record 6.6m last week, on top of 3.3m the week before, due to the economic disruption caused by coronavirus.
Category: Comment
CVC in the Time of Coronavirus: Girish Nadkarni, Total Carbon Neutrality Ventures
Total Carbon Neutrality Ventures’ international outlook has eased the switch to remote working somewhat, and opportunities are available for careful investors.
Tough fundraising times?
Let’s see…
CVC in the Time of Coronavirus: Tarik Galijasevic, Allstate Strategic Ventures
Galijasevic predicts collaborations among corporate VCs and startups will only accelerate as they look to innovative technologies to address customer needs during tumultuous times.
Corporate venturing’s ethical framework comes under test
There are plenty of reasons to sell or give up stakes in startups currently – usually cashflow related, hopefully profitably after an acquisition or flotation and sometimes chucked in the bin after bankruptcy. Rarely for ethical reasons.
Facebook zooms in on Plessey and the UK
American firms have a long history of running into competition concerns when trying to buy UK-based chipmaker Plessey.
GSK hardens its cancer strategy through Lyell
It is the sort of line to awaken the curiosity in an annual report: “Cash payments to acquire equity investments amounted to £258m [$314m] (2018 – £309m), primarily relating to Lyell Immunopharma.”
CVC in the Time of Coronavirus: Lisa Lambert, National Grid Partners
Lambert told GCV she believes investors will continue to back portfolio companies, but the inability to meet potential portfolio companies on the ground will hinder new investments.
Venture’s leaders step up
The meeting of about 34 senior corporate venturing executives in the Covid-19 Venture Crisis Forum on Wednesday identified the global concern the disease from the Coronavirus is causing.
Finding a natural future
While the current attention is on the Coronavirus, deals are still happening.
CVC in the Time of Coronavirus: Donald Lacey, Ping An Global Voyager Fund
The Ping An subsidiary is providing strategic assistance to portfolio companies during the Covid-19 pandemic, though managing director Lacey cautioned that startups with high burn rates are facing high risk.
Industry always needs Moore Love
Corporate venturing has always been a more collaborative part of financial services than most other areas and so it has been heartening to have so many of the industry leaders step up to share insights on how the current Covid-19 crisis might be eased or create new opportunities.
CVC in the Time of Coronavirus: Dominique Mégret, Swisscom Ventures
In the first of a new series, Dominque Mégret, head of Swisscom Ventures, tells GCV that the Covid-19 crisis could lead to a greater contrast between CVC’s winners and losers.
Industry preparations for Covid-19
Kim Armor at Comcast Ventures showed why she was ranked so highly (#1) in the GCV Emerging Leader awards at the end of January after including Alphabet’s GV and Salesforce Ventures in an initial discussion last week on the Coronavirus and how it might impact their units and the broader industry.