Jennifer's M&A Journey and CVC 2.0 Evolution

Jennifer Miller, Senior Director of Corporate Development at Oshkosh Corporation, brings over 24 years of M&A experience spanning investment banking, boutique advisory, and corporate development. In this episode, she reveals how Oshkosh evolved their corporate venture capital approach from CVC 1.0's financial focus to CVC 2.0's strategic innovation partnerships. Jennifer shares practical insights on managing 400+ deal flow annually, structuring IP agreements, and balancing minority investments with traditional M&A within a single corporate development function.

 Things You'll Learn

• CVC 2.0 Framework: How to evolve from pure financial returns to strategic innovation partnerships that accelerate technology adoption

• Deal Flow Management: Systematic approach to evaluate 400+ companies annually using thematic prioritization and rapid technical diligence

• IP Structuring: Strategic methods for negotiating exclusivity, co-development agreements, and future acquisition rights without limiting startup growth

____________________

The Buyer-Led M&A™ Summit is back.The virtual event built for dealmakers who want to eliminate chaos and take control from sourcing through integration. 📅 October 30, 2025 🕚 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM ET 💻 Free & Virtual Learn from leaders who’ve built scalable, repeatable strategies that keep deals on track - Register now.

____________________ Today’s episode of the M&A Science Podcast is brought to you by Grata!

Grata is the leading private market dealmaking platform. With its best-in-class AI workflows and investment-grade data, Grata helps investors, advisors, and strategic acquirers effortlessly discover, research, and connect with potential targets — all in one sleek, user-friendly interface. Visit grata.com to learn more.

 __________________

[00:02:30] Corporate Development Evolution – Jennifer's 24-year journey from investment banking to strategic partnerships

[00:05:00] CVC 2.0 Philosophy – Shifting from financial investments to innovation-first partnerships

[00:10:00] Balancing M&A and CVC – Managing traditional acquisitions alongside minority investments in one team

[00:16:00] Proof of Concept Budget – How Oshkosh funds cross-business unit technology pilots

[00:20:30] Deal Flow Sourcing – Processing 400+ companies annually through thematic prioritization

[00:24:00] IP and Acquisition Rights – Structuring exclusivity and information rights without limiting startup exits

[00:31:00] Strategic Value Proposition – What startups gain from corporate investors beyond capital

[00:36:00] Integration Management – Preventing startup overwhelm while ensuring technology adoption

[00:41:30] Startup Positioning Advice – How entrepreneurs should approach strategic versus financial investors

Questions, comments, concerns?Follow Kison Patel for behind-the-scenes insights on modern M&A.