Kinnevik CEO and Chair: Long-term mindset, Innovation and Dealing with failures
Sep 4, 2024
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Georgi Ganev, CEO of Kinnevik, and James Anderson, Chair of Kinnevik and a top European tech investor, dive into the art of long-term investing. They discuss how a resilient mindset is essential for navigating innovative business models and the contrasts in startup cultures between Europe and the USA. The duo emphasizes the importance of leadership and governance during challenging market times, advocating for embracing failures as learning opportunities. They also explore future investment avenues in clean technology and AI, underscoring the need for a passion-driven approach.
Kinnevik emphasizes a long-term investment mindset that prioritizes sustainable growth over short-term gains, particularly in dynamic sectors like healthcare.
The discussion highlights the challenges faced by public companies in balancing immediate performance pressures with the necessity for long-term innovation and expansion.
Deep dives
Kinevik's Long-Term Vision and Transformation
Kinevik, founded in 1936, is dedicated to fostering growth and innovation across various sectors, including telecom, e-commerce, and healthcare. The company prioritizes a long-term investment mindset, supported by founding families who aim for sustainable returns for generations rather than short-term gains. Over the last six years, Kinevik has transformed its portfolio to include new sectors, notably expanding into healthcare. This strategy highlights a commitment to adaptive reinvention in a changing market landscape.
Investment Strategy and Founder Characteristics
Kinevik seeks to become the best owners in the sectors it invests in by encouraging strategic discussions focused on long-term growth rather than short-term financial performance. The company values founders with clear, bold visions and a willingness to endure the challenges of business development over time. By evaluating the potential for extreme outcomes, Kinevik aims to identify companies that can significantly disrupt their industries. This involves asking founders about their long-term goals and the scalability of their business models.
Challenges of Public vs. Private Companies
Public companies often face pressure to deliver short-term results, which can hinder their ability to invest in long-term innovation. In contrast, private companies generally offer founders the freedom to focus on building their businesses without immediate shareholder scrutiny. Kinevik believes that the public market's emphasis on quarterly performance can stifle companies that are otherwise poised for substantial growth. This dichotomy underscores the importance of having supportive, long-term investors who understand the value of patience in capital allocation.
Future Opportunities in Emerging Industries
Kinevik identifies promising future sectors such as clean technology, data-driven genomics, and artificial intelligence as key areas for investment. These industries have the potential to revolutionize healthcare and other critical areas by leveraging advancing technologies. The discussion highlights the need for a long-term perspective when assessing the impact of such innovations, suggesting that significant change often requires several years to manifest. This forward-thinking approach aims to capitalize on emerging trends that address fundamental societal needs.
In this episode, Nicolai is joined by Georgi Ganev, CEO, and James Anderson, Chair, of the Swedish investment company Kinnevik. Founded in 1936, Kinnevik has a rich history of driving growth and innovation across various industries, such as telecommunications, e-commerce, and healthcare. Tune in to this engaging discussion to learn more about Kinnevik's approach to long-term investments, their perspective on public versus private companies, and the challenges they are facing in the current market climate.
The production team for this episode includes PLAN-B's Pål Huuse and Niklas Figenschau Johansen. Background research was conducted by Isabelle Karlsson and Kristian Haga.