CVC | E355 | Panel discussion on Corporate Venture Capital – a deep dive into to set it up, engage with CVCs, and more

In this episode of the EUVC podcast, Andreas discusses how we prepared a new panel discussion with our in-house CVC expert and friend, Jeppe Høier, and his guests.

Francesco Di Lorenzo is an Associate Professor of Strategy and E-ship at Copenhagen Business School (Department of Strategy and Innovation), where he is actively involved in research and teaching topics related to Corporate Venturing.

Crispin Leick is the Managing Director at EnBW New Ventures, where he leads the company's corporate venture capital (CVC) efforts. Based in Germany, EnBW New Ventures focuses on investing in innovative startups that drive digital and sustainable infrastructure, with a particular emphasis on climate tech.

With a committed €100M fund, they target Series A investments across Europe. Their portfolio includes notable investments in ESG and carbon-focused startups like Sunhat and Cozero and key players in the battery rollout space such as Enspired and Volytica.

In today’s panel discussion, we’re exploring all things corporate venture capital (CVC)—from the best ways to engage with CVCs to how to effectively set them up and the key strategies that drive success. We’re also digging into the dynamics of collaboration between traditional venture capital, CVCs, and the corporate world.

Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀

Chapters:

00:03 Meet the Guests: Francesco, Crispin, and Jeppe 
04:50 Understanding Corporate Venture Capital
06:02 CVC Strategies and Models
09:22 Challenges and Successes in CVC
13:50 The Importance of Financial Returns in CVC
18:12 Setting Up a Successful CVC
44:12 Measuring Startup Growth
45:02 Importance of Gross Margin
45:20 Investment Strategies in B2B Digital Models
45:49 Challenges and Benefits of Seed Investments
46:37 Strategic Corporate Investments
48:01 Commercial Agreements and Conflicts of Interest
53:50 Engagement Management in Corporates
01:00:56 Governance Structures in CVC
01:14:42 Evergreen Model in CVC
01:18:14 Future Trends in CVC