Corporate Venturing Insider #18: Malin Carlström @ ABB Technology Ventures with Nicolas Sauvage

TL;DR

Corporate venturing strategies for impactful growth and investments with unique insights.

Transcript

welcome everybody good morning or good afternoon wherever you're joining us today today we have in our 18th edition of the cvc insider brought to you by 500 startups we have a very exciting session with marlin carlstrom head of ventures at abb technology ventures who prior to joining abb spent 13 years as an investor in the nordic venture capital m... Read More

Key Insights

• ⚖️ Corporate venturing ensures a strategic balance between financial returns and impact investments in technology.
• ❓ Strategic partnerships and syndicates are crucial for successful corporate venturing strategies and portfolio growth.
• 🍉 ABB Technology Ventures focuses on environmental impact investments, market synergies, and long-term strategies for growth.
• 🐎 Speed and agility are essential in the corporate venturing landscape, driving innovation and impact.
• ✊ Evergreen structures offer staying power and commitment to long-term investments with strategic objectives.
• 🤩 Relationship building, value creation, and mutual alignment are key drivers for successful corporate venturing partnerships.
• ⚖️ Balancing financial discipline and innovation strategies is crucial for corporate venture capital success.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does ABB Technology Ventures balance financial returns with strategic objectives in investments?

ABB focuses on strategic alignments in investments, seeking partnerships, innovation synergies, and market insights while also ensuring sound financial terms and viable growth potential.

Q: What role does the investment committee play in ABB's corporate venturing strategies?

The investment committee at ABB focuses on evaluating strategic fit, commitment from top management, and making informed decisions based on both strategic alignment and potential financial returns.

Q: What are the key elements of successful corporate venturing partnerships for accelerating innovation?

Successful partnerships involve mutual engagement plans, clear value propositions, strategic dependencies, and a shared long-term vision for mutual growth and innovation.

Q: How does ABB Technology Ventures approach evergreen structures in corporate venturing investments?

ABB's evergreen structure allows for long-term commitment to investments, strategic alignments, and provides staying power for impactful investments in technologies with longer lifecycles.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Alba from 500 startups hosts Marlin Carlstrom from ABB Technology Ventures, sharing insights on corporate venture capital (CVC).

• Marlin discusses her journey from financial VC to corporate venturing, emphasizing technology and environmental impact investments.

• ABB's strategic approach involves partnerships, syndicates, strategic acquisitions, and balancing financial returns with strategic objectives.