2023 was another busy year for corporate venture. It was a year dominated by the promise of artificial intelligence, the development of electric vehicles and renewables as Net Zero sustainability targets drew closer, and the year the social media landscape transformed before our eyes as Twitter rebranded as X and Meta launched Threads.
These were the GCV stories that attracted the most readers in 2023 — an insight, perhaps, into what has been most on the minds of corporate investors.
10. Corporate AI funds: The list
2023 was definitely the year that generative AI went big, and AI as a whole was a fundraising juggernaut that continues to build momentum. Corporates got involved in their droves and as the trend grew, Rob Lavine took a deep dive into all the original AI funds, new units, offshoots, accelerators and new mega funds that have come onto the AI scene.
9. Global investors line up for India’s EV explosion
India is poised on brink of an explosion of EV adoption in 2023, and large global corporations are scrambling to get involved. The size of this market and government incentives make this an attractive sector for investment. Aditya Rangroo took a closer look at the situation and at which corporates are getting involved.
8. Accenture Ventures leans into trillion-dollar spacetech opportunity
Spacetech is a rapidly growing sector as the cost of sending items into space continues to drop, and advancements in electronics mean we can send increasingly sophisticated equipment into orbit. Tom Lounibos, managing director of Accenture Ventures, spoke to Kim Moore about what he thinks the industry will look like in the next 15 years.
7. Compensation conundrum: CVCs grapple with pressure to pay like a VC
For corporate investment arms, giving team members carried interest or “carry” as an incentive can be a tricky construct. The fact that a CVC employee with carry might end up earning more than the corporate CEO makes it a hard sell. Most corporate investors would like carry, and many teams see it as an essential retention tool. But sometimes carry isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Kim Moore took a look at the different compensation options and structures CVCs choose.
6. Why South Korea will lead the AI revolution
South Korea is the world’s fastest growing innovation ecosystem, and it’s next target is to be at the forefront of the AI revolution. Alberto Onetti, Chairman of Mind the Bridge, took a detailed look at why South Korea is best placed to take the lead.
5. Twelve human microbiome startups to watch
Back in April, we released a special report all about the human microbiome. But it was the list of startups to watch in this space that captured our audience’s imagination. Roshini Bains profiled 12 exciting startups to keep your eyes on in the next few years.
4. CVCs: Here’s what you need to know about venture studios
Venture studios are on the rise, with more than half being formed within the last 5 years. Steve Gotz is partner at Silicon Foundry, and when it comes to venture studios, he knows his stuff. If your firm is thinking about setting one up, it is worth looking at the advice Gotz shares.
3. Startups — if you want investment from a CVC avoid these pitching mistakes
With venture capital now much harder to raise, more startups are considering corporate venture investors as backers. However, a relationship with a corporate investor can be a little different than one with a financial investor. It starts from when startups pitch to a corporate. Fernando Moncada Rivera spells out the red flags and things that founders should avoid.
2. The agritech party is over, Syngenta’s CVC arm is surveying the damage
“To be blunt, I just think there was way too much investment in way too many companies engaged in far too many speculative businesses, and a reckoning is currently underway”. When Rob Lavine spoke to Shubhang Shankar, managing director at agribusiness Syngenta’s corporate venture unit, Shankar didn’t mince his words. It’s a great read, so it’s not surprising that this was the second most popular story of the year.
1. Corporate-backed startups are more likely to survive
It’s something we always suspected and now we have the data to back it up. Having a corporate investor halves the chance of a startup going bust and increases the exit multiple the business will get when it is acquired or floats on the stock exchange. This in-depth piece of data and analysis was our most read story of the year.
