Highlights from the GCVI Summit 2022

Highlights from the 2022 Global Corporate Venturing and Innovation Summit, the premier annual networking event for corporate venture capitalists. 

I recently attended the 2022 Global Corporate Venturing and Innovation Summit. This meeting marked the first time the in-person event had been held in three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The GCVI Summit is the ultimate annual networking event for corporate venture capital leaders. I was there to network with potential co-investors and to participate in the inaugural Global Industry 4.0 Sustainability Investments Council.    

HIGHLIGHTS 

• The Summit was well attended and was capped at 600 CVC leaders 
• There was good participation from global CVCs 
• It felt great to speak with colleagues in person rather than on video 
• Diversity was noticeably higher within the ranks of CVC than in VC 
• Industry 4.0 startups are playing critical roles in enabling sustainability goals 
• VCs that collaborate closely with strategic CVCs attended (viz., Momenta) 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• The turbulent economic climate was the central theme of panels, presentations, and discussions. Everyone was trying to anticipate and plan for the inevitable impact on CVC, VC, and startups. The general sentiment was to be prepared for change. 
  
• Sustainability was the second central theme and part of almost every conversation. There were repeated acknowledgments that “sustainability impact” was a critical goal for CVC parent corporations. Several former CVC leaders have transitioned to leadership roles in newly formed private equity funds with an ESG thematic focus. Unsurprisingly, there were various but widely different “sustainability mandates” among the attendees. 
  
• I met with global CVCs from North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Some attendees were from nascent CVC programs, and I frequently met individuals planning their company’s entry into CVC. They were at the Summit seeking perspective and exploring structural options such as “CVC as a Service” or investing in funds like Momenta’s. 

• The GCVI organized several “Investment Councils” of like-minded investors that met to focus on creating agendas and best practices for global collaboration within investment themes: AI, Energy, Finance, Healthcare, Industrial Sustainability, and Mobility. I was pleased to be part of the inaugural Global Industry 4.0 Sustainability Investments Council meeting. 
  

SUMMARY 

The Global Corporate Venturing organization does a great job driving networking, knowledge transfer, and professional education amongst its CVC members. The GCVI Summit is their capstone event, and it's back after a Covid 19 hiatus. GCVI welcomes VCs like Momenta, and I made several valuable connections with potential co-investors for our portfolio at the Summit. I look forward to working with them. 

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