EUVC CVC | E492 | Zack Weisfeld on Ignite Deep Tech & Reinventing Corporate Venture
Jun 13, 2025
Zack Weisfeld, a key player behind Ignite Deep Tech, discusses the transformative journey of Intel's accelerator program. He shares insights on the innovative 'co-founder as a service' model, which fosters a vital relationship between corporates and startups. Weisfeld emphasizes the importance of mentorship, emotional support, and addressing mental health for founders. He also explores the essential elements of trust and empathy in building successful corporate partnerships. Overall, it's a deep dive into reinventing the dynamics of entrepreneurship and enterprise.
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Corporate Accelerators Often Fail
- Most corporate accelerators fail due to being short-term transactional engagements.
- Intel Ignite succeeds with a 'co-founder as a service' model built on trust, empathy, and transparency.
Mentorship Creates Internal Champions
- Intel Ignite assigns startups corporate mentors who create internal champions by advocating startup technology.
- Mentors find it so rewarding that they return to mentor repeatedly.
Select Founders via Rigorous Process
- Use a rigorous multi-stage selection process involving corporates and VCs to handpick startups.
- About 70% of startups are referred by top investors, ensuring high quality founders.