Discover/EUVC/EUVC Live at GoWest | The Outlook for Eu...

The two things that make VCs tear their hair out about corporate venture

EUVC · EUVC Live at GoWest | The Outlook for European Capital...

“Because if you do not have the purpose, the VC industry will not understand you.”

14:20 / 14:54

Find this show

Find on SpotifyFind on Apple Podcasts

As a corporate, you need to be clear on why you exist. What is your purpose out there? Because if you do not have the purpose, the VC industry will not understand you. You need to bring it across the line to gain the support of the VCs, but more from your inside. Governance. That is probably where most of the VCs in this room, they tear out their hair. Right? When is your next investment committee? Who is on the investment committee? How do you decide? So when you build your CVC, get this right,

About this clip

A CVC expert breaks down the two critical elements that corporate venture capital arms must get right from day one. He explains why having a clear corporate purpose is essential for VC support, and why governance structure - particularly investment committee processes - is where most CVCs fail and frustrate traditional VCs.

Why this clip

This clip provides specific, actionable advice for building successful corporate venture capital arms, addressing common pain points that VCs encounter when working with corporates.

14:20 - 14:5435stactical advice
corporate-venture-capitalgovernanceinvestment-committees

Share

LinkedInX

What they said next

VC criticizes extreme longevity biohacking: What's the point of living longer miserably?

19:20 - 33s · contrarian take

More from this episode

EUVC

tactical advice

The governance mistakes that make VCs tear their hair out

A speaker breaks down the critical governance elements that Corporate VCs must get right to work effectively with traditional VCs. They emphasize the importance of clearly communicating investment committee processes, decision-making structures, and investment strategy to the broader ecosystem.

14:41 - 15:1535s
corporate-vcinvestment-governancevc-operations

EUVC

tactical advice

How corporates can finally speak VC language and win startup partnerships

A speaker outlines a three-step framework for corporates looking to work with startups: act like a VC, learn to communicate in VC terminology about your investment approach and geography, and clearly integrate by being transparent about how you partner with startups. The key insight is that startups are seeking corporates who understand the venture ecosystem rather than traditional corporate approaches.

15:01 - 15:3332s
corporate-vcstartup-partnershipsinvestor-communication

EUVC

contrarian take

VC criticizes extreme longevity biohacking: What's the point of living longer miserably?

A VC argues against extreme longevity practices like severe calorie restriction and blood transfusions, advocating instead for 'JoySpan' - extending healthy, enjoyable years rather than just lifespan. They position their investment thesis around supporting founders who focus on quality of life extension rather than obsessive life extension at any cost.

19:20 - 19:5333s
longevity-investingbiotechquality-of-life

EUVC

contrarian take

Living to 200 means nothing if you're miserable the whole time

A discussion about the evolution from simply extending lifespan to focusing on healthspan and ultimately 'joyspan' - the quality of additional years we gain. The speaker critiques extreme longevity pursuits that sacrifice quality of life, questioning whether living longer is worthwhile if it means giving up everything enjoyable.

18:57 - 19:3235s
longevityhealthspanquality-of-life

Similar clips from other shows

Riding Unicorns

market insight

Why CVCs are uniquely positioned to solve automotive's biggest regulatory challenges

Mike Smeed explains how corporate venture capital arms provide unique value beyond just funding - they offer regulatory expertise and industry networks that are critical for startups entering highly regulated industries like automotive. He highlights how CVCs can help navigate the complex homologation and authorization processes required to get products approved for vehicle use.

29:19 - 29:5435s
corporate-venture-capitalautomotive-regulationindustry-networks

Riding Unicorns

market insight

Why most CVC leaders get fired after 3.5 years

Mike Smeed explains why corporate venture capital leaders have such short tenures - averaging just 3.5 years. He reveals that relying on a single sponsor within the parent company creates vulnerability when leadership changes, and shares how he's survived by navigating multiple regime changes.

33:49 - 34:4657s
corporate-venture-capitalleadership-tenureorganizational-survival

Riding Unicorns

contrarian take

The traditional strategic vs financial CVC framework is outdated and broken

Mike Smeed argues that the common way of categorizing corporate venture capital units on a spectrum from strategic to financial is no longer useful. He suggests this framework has become so generic that most CVCs end up clustered in the middle, making it essentially meaningless for differentiation.

7:18 - 7:4629s
corporate-venture-capitalinvestment-frameworkscvc-strategy

Riding Unicorns

founder story

From executing acquisitions to building a CVC fund at ICAP

Mark Beeston details his hands-on experience building ICAP's corporate venture capital arm, including successful investments like Acagersoft (acquired by London Stock Exchange) and TriOptima. He shares the tactical work of setting up a CVC fund and executing both investments and acquisitions in the fintech infrastructure space.

3:46 - 4:2236s
corporate-venture-capitalfintech-acquisitionscvc-setup

From the blog

FrameworkOriginal Research

The 5 Clip Archetypes for VC Podcasts

10 min read

Want clips like this for your podcast?

We find your top 5-8 clips, write the hooks, and deliver ready-to-post content. First 2 episodes are free.

Get 2 Episodes Clipped Free