Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this session, Christian Tang-Jespersen, Partner at San Francisco–based ACME, and Claus Gregersen, CEO of the 275-year-old evergreen investor Augustinus Fabrikker, explore what global ambition really means in today’s venture landscape.
From recalibrating US expansion strategies to navigating sovereignty, trade tensions, and structural resets, they unpack how investors and founders must adapt to thrive in a more complex—but still interconnected—world.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered:
00:00 Setting the stage: Cycles, crises, and why this downturn feels different.
02:00 Structural reset, not just another downturn—why waiting for “normal” is not an option.
03:30 Investors as navigators, not moral arbiters—what it means in practice.
04:15 Why the US remains critical: learning, scaling, and surviving tough competition.
06:00 Page nine of every pitch deck: the inevitable US expansion slide.
07:20 Trade tensions vs. venture building—why early-stage models aren’t derailed by politics.
08:30 The importance of value-adding capital—choose partners for impact, not geography.
09:15 Lessons from COVID and defense: building lean, fast, and resilient.
10:00 Closing thoughts: capital may be scarcer, but ambition must remain global.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we spotlight Europe’s corporate venture leaders, founders, and academics shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this episode, Francesco Di Lorenzo, Associate Professor at Copenhagen Business School, takes the stage to share fresh research on the state of corporate venture capital (CVC) in the Nordics. From Sweden to Denmark, Francesco explores how corporates are experimenting with different venturing models, what makes CVC effective, and why Nordic corporates are some of Europe’s most important venture partners.
Rather than polished slides, Francesco offers candid reflections from the Summit itself: the open questions corporates face, the trade-offs in structuring CVC units, and why cultural change in the boardroom is key if corporate venturing is to succeed long-term.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:10 Nordic snapshot — Why the region punches above its weight in tech and CVC.
01:00 Tools beyond CVC — Incubators, accelerators, and venture clienting: complementary or conflicting?
03:00 The CVC effect — Beyond capital: what corporates bring to the table (and why it matters).
05:00 Measuring success — Why CVC units last only 3.7 years on average and the difficulty of proving ROI.
07:00 Smart money vs. just money — How engineer exchanges and board participation can be more impactful than capital alone.
08:00 Venture clienting — A rising model where corporates act as first customers instead of investors—and the risks it carries.
10:00 Governance cycles — Why CVC units live and die with CEO tenure, and why board-level protection is essential.
11:00 Collaboration vs. competition — What data says about corporates co-investing (and when they don’t).
13:00 Nordic findings — Early results from research in Norway, Finland, and Sweden: small portfolios, early-stage focus, and bureaucracy as the top blocker.
14:00 AI paradox — Corporates investing in AI startups but cutting internal AI budgets—what this signals for the future.
Corporate venture capital has become a $100B+ force in tech. Charlie Hayward from Global Corporate Venturing unpacks what’s really driving the trend: which sectors are heating up, where CVCs make a difference, and how Europe stacks up under capital constraints and geopolitical pressure.
Here’s what’s covered:
00:10 – Setting the stage: CVC as a $100B+ global force
01:00 – Why corporate venture matters: from Microsoft’s outlier story to the role of corporate backers
03:00 – Active CVC units: stock performance and why entrepreneurs should care
04:00 – Lower bankruptcy risk & higher exit multiples for CVC-backed startups
05:00 – State of play: fundraising headwinds, but CVCs take the long-term view
05:30 – Early-stage shift: corporates getting active in seed & pre-seed rounds
06:00 – Global hotspots: Latin America and APAC showing strong momentum
07:00 – What CVCs bring: board seats, portfolio support, but still lighter on financial-return expectations
08:00 – Who plays the game: large corporates with $1B+ revenues dominate, but LP stakes open doors for smaller players
09:00 – New frontiers: universities, accelerators, and venture clienting as the next CVC battlegrounds
Anne C. Fleischer (Global VP of Consumer Engagement & New Business Models at Novo Nordisk) and Henrijette Richter (Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners) join Jeppe Høier on stage at the EUCVC Summit 2025 to explore how corporates and VCs are shaping the next wave of health innovation.
From personalized treatments powered by AI, to the crucial role of data rights and trust in scaling digital health, Anne and Henrijette share hard-won insights on how pharma and venture can collaborate without killing speed or innovation.
They discuss the “impatience economy,” where patients increasingly demand fast, personalized solutions, and why collaboration across startups, corporates, and investors is essential to turn science into scalable business models.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:10 The next wave of health innovation — AI, deep tech, and strategic investment.
01:00 Beyond the pill — Novo Nordisk’s vision for personalized, AI-driven patient care.
03:00 Investor lens — what separates fundable AI health companies from “science projects.”
04:00 Data rights & distribution — why exclusivity and integration pathways are critical.
05:00 Corporate–startup collaboration — Novo Nordisk’s partner platform for scaling innovation.
06:00 Scaling globally from day one — why diversified data and pharma channels matter.
07:00 The “translator role” — people who speak both startup and corporate languages.
08:00 The impatience economy — consumerization of health and the risks of losing trust.
09:00 Looking ahead — specificity for patients as the next frontier in health innovation.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this episode, Samuli Sirén, Managing Partner at Redstone, joins Andreas Munk Holm to explore how data-driven deal sourcing is reshaping venture capital. Redstone has spent nearly a decade building Sophia, its proprietary analytics platform, to track trends, identify group dynamics, and map startup opportunities long before they show up on mainstream radars.
From the promise and limits of AI in scouting to the common mistakes corporates make in startup sourcing, Samuli pulls back the curtain on what works, what doesn’t, and how data can give investors an edge without replacing human judgment.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:10 Data, hype, and reality — is algorithmic deal flow just LP marketing or a real sourcing edge?
01:00 Building Sophia: Redstone’s proprietary database for mapping opportunities
02:00 Identifying groups and dynamics — why trends matter more than picking a single winner
03:00 From regulation to signals: how legal shifts and new markets trigger clusters of startups
04:00 Geography and global scope — why national champions rarely scale, and why global is better
05:00 Corporate mistakes in sourcing — overfocusing on core business and overestimating their value
06:00 Doing it right: how corporate LPs can learn, stay hands-off, and still gain massive value
07:00 Lessons from Redstone’s fintech funds — German banks as LPs and the power of curiosity
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this session, Marcus Behrendt, Managing Director at BMW i Ventures, and Nicole LeBlanc, Partner at Woven Capital (Toyota’s global growth fund), join Andreas Munk Holm to explore the shifting landscape of mobility and corporate venture.
From navigating capital-intensive hardware bets to finding the balance between strategic alignment and financial discipline, Marcus and Nicole share what they’ve learned running two of the world’s most active mobility CVCs. They open up on exits, collaboration with startups, and how CVCs must evolve to remain relevant in an era of autonomous, connected, and electrified vehicles.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:10 BMW i Ventures’ journey from corporate “experiment” to one of Europe’s most established mobility CVCs.
01:00 Woven Capital’s global mandate — $800M to invest in growth-stage companies shaping the future of mobility.
02:00 Strategic vs. financial returns: how to keep credibility with founders while serving corporate parents.
04:00 The hard part of hardware — why scaling in mobility takes patient capital and operational backing.
06:00 Startups + corporates = frictions and opportunities — lessons from portfolio collaborations.
08:00 Exit realities: IPO droughts, M&A dynamics, and how mobility startups find liquidity.
10:00 The next decade of CVC in mobility: sustainability, AI, and cross-border collaboration.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit talks, where we bring you the voices shaping Europe’s venture and corporate collaboration landscape.
In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm speaks with Tanja Lind Melskens, Head of Corporate Strategy and M&A at Terma, Denmark’s tier-one defense technology group. As Europe re-arms and defense spending surges, Tanja shares how startups, corporates, and investors must rethink dual-use technology, navigate inflated wartime valuations, and prepare for the post-conflict market.
From frontline innovation in Ukraine to the challenges of ESG in defense tech, this conversation sheds light on one of the most important—and controversial—frontiers for venture collaboration.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:10 Europe’s re-armament: rising budgets, real opportunities—and inflated valuations.
01:30 Ukraine as the “Silicon Valley of defense tech”: 4 million drones a year and frontline R&D.
03:00 Why startups must prepare for the post-conflict market, not just donation-driven sales.
04:30 Terma’s Kyiv subsidiary and partnerships with Ukrainian startups.
06:00 Drone wars and critical infrastructure: protecting energy, transport, and hospitals.
07:00 ESG in defense: compliance vs. survival in frontline innovation.
08:00 Risks no VC faces: working with founders whose survival is uncertain.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you ground-level conversations with the founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping Europe’s innovation future.
In this episode, Jeppe Høier sits down with Nadia Carlsten, VP at DCAI, and Bjarke Ruse Sejersen, CEO of Go Autonomous, to explore how Europe is putting AI hype into practice. From Denmark’s launch of the Gefion supercomputer to startups training proprietary models, this conversation dives into the reality of building AI factories that deliver business value — and what it will take for Europe to compete globally.
Nadia shares why compute sovereignty matters and how Denmark is positioning itself as a hub for large-scale AI innovation, while Bjarke explains how Go Autonomous trained the world’s first B2B foundation model — and why European startups need braver investors to seize the AI-native future.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered:
00:10 Forget the AI hype - why compute sovereignty matters for Denmark and Europe.
01:40 From infrastructure to innovation - Nadia on how Gefion enables Danish startups and researchers.
02:15 Go Autonomous’ leap - Bjarke on training the world’s first B2B foundation model.
03:20 Scale in action - handling €30B annually with tailor-made AI.
04:00 Adoption gap - Nadia on why Denmark must accelerate real-world AI use cases.
05:20 Capital mindset - Bjarke on why Europe lags the U.S. in risky AI-native investments.
06:30 Investor responsibility - Nadia on knowing which startups are fine-tuning vs. building foundational models.
07:30 Green AI - Europe’s unique advantage: pairing supercomputing with sustainability.
08:15 The missing link - Nadia on translating business ambition into compute-ready AI projects.
09:00 Corporate + startup collaboration - Bjarke on why structured partnerships could be Europe’s AI superpower.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this session, Jeppe Høier is joined by Crispin Leick, Managing Director of EnBW New Ventures and Georg Reifferscheid, Head of Sustainability Ventures at REWE Group. Together, they explore how corporates are deploying capital, rethinking supply chains, and integrating AI to tackle Europe’s most urgent challenge: the energy transition.
From evergreen venture models to decarbonizing retail operations, the discussion dives deep into how industrial and consumer giants are investing, where capital is moving fastest, and why success still depends on aligning financial and strategic incentives.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:10 The energy transition is here — Europe’s corporates on the frontlines.
01:00 Evergreen VC at EnBW New Ventures — why Crispin calls it the “best decision ever.”
03:00 REWE Group’s sustainability mandate — tackling scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
05:00 Where venture capital meets infrastructure — smarter, more capital-efficient deployment.
06:00 AI in energy — real-world use cases from batteries to trading algorithms.
07:00 Cooling, HVAC, and sustainable construction — REWE’s innovation priorities.
08:00 Financial return first — why strategic impact only follows startup success.
09:00 Incentives matter — why carry and financial alignment are make-or-break in CVC.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this session, Sead Bajrovic of Water Impact Partners and Gijs de Bruin of PureTerra Ventures take the stage to unpack one of the most overlooked challenges in climate investing: water. From scarcity and pollution to corporate resilience and trillion-dollar opportunities, they explain why water technology must become a central pillar of Europe’s impact and climate strategy.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:10 Why water is the “oil that runs everything” — and why it’s undervalued.
01:00 The hard facts: only 0.3% of Earth’s water is accessible, and demand will outstrip supply by 40% by 2030.
02:30 Legacy systems can’t cope — why centralized water treatment is failing.
04:00 Corporate risk: data centers, manufacturing, and the Amazon Arizona case.
05:00 Who’s leading: Apple, BASF, and L’Oréal’s water stewardship programs.
06:00 Investment shift — from niche impact to mainstream VCs entering water.
07:00 UN data: every $1 invested in water resilience returns $7.
08:00 Innovation spotlight: AI, software, and applied technologies for efficiency.
09:00 The most disruptive thing? Corporates putting real money into water.
In this session, Andreas Munk Holm speaks with Bodil Sidén, Founding Partner at Kost Capital, and Marika King, Head of PINC, the venture arm of Paulig. Together, they explore how Europe can reinvent food systems to feed 10 billion people by 2050—without destroying the planet.From test kitchens and Michelin chefs in VC funds, to evergreen corporate models and the hunt for plastic-free packaging, Bodil and Marika share their unique approaches to food and agri-tech investing, the biggest opportunities ahead, and what they look for in founders building the future of food.🎧 Here’s what’s covered00:00 Feeding 10 billion people by 2050 — why food is “different” and needs a new venture model.01:00 Inside Kost Capital’s test kitchen — from Michelin chefs to food historians in due diligence.02:00 PINC’s evergreen model — why speed and long-term capital matter for food innovation.03:00 Execution over ideas — why market obsession beats product obsession.04:00 The secret sauce: validating food science claims in real time.05:00 When corporates add value without killing agility — the good and bad of CVC in food tech.06:00 The holy grail: plastic-free packaging that behaves like plastic.07:00 Big bets today: green fertilizers, bio-controls, smart water, and sustainable agriculture.08:00 AI as an enabler — cutting costs and accelerating product development.09:00 Food, health & nutrition — the rise of sustainable fatty acids, vitamins, and bio-based aromas.#euvc #VC #VentureCapital #Investing #TheEuropeanVC #Podcast #Tech #Startup
This week, Andreas Munk Holm and Jeppe Høier sit down with Matti Rönkkö, Managing Director of Kiilto Ventures, the venture arm of Finnish family-owned Kiilto.
From Rocket Internet to running a corporate-backed, family-owned venture arm, Matti shares how Kiilto Ventures blends family capital, industry know-how, and VC pace to back startups in the sustainable built environment. They dive into portfolio examples, CVC vs VC dynamics, co-investing with generalists, and why superior product performance at price parity is the only path forward in climate and construction tech.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered:
00:30 – Cold open & setup: why this is a “CVC episode”
01:00 – Who is Matti? From Rocket Internet & scale-ups to Kiilto Ventures
02:00 – What is Kiilto Ventures: mandate, geography, and ownership model
04:56 – CVC, VC, or family office? Matti’s “best-of-all-worlds” answer
07:30 – How Kiilto’s mothership helps: labs, chemists, and customer intros
10:44 – Rocket Internet lessons: speed, scale, and culture
18:12 – The built environment’s big four problems: carbon, circularity, health, inefficiency
20:25 – Portfolio snapshots: Recoma, Nobody Engineering, SMB
24:21 – Co-investing & partnerships: specialists + generalists, and when offtakes make sense
37:27 – Macro & climate politics: why only price-parity products will win
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this episode, Jeppe Høier sits down with Simon Boas Hoffmeyer, Global Head of Sustainability & ESG at Carlsberg, and Kasper Hulthin, serial entrepreneur and investor at Future Five (co-founder of Kost, Peakon, and more).
With ESG facing political backlash, accusations of greenwashing, and shifting investor sentiment, the question looms: is ESG still a lever for real change—or does it need a reset? Simon and Kasper explore what’s broken, what still works, and how corporates and startups can embed sustainability into real business value.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:10 ESG under fire — political pushback, greenwashing, and regulatory flip-flops.
01:00 Carlsberg’s take: facts, faith, and fear as the drivers of sustainability.
02:00 Why startups must reframe ESG as financial return, not a premium add-on.
03:00 Culture vs. compliance — how corporates integrate ESG into decision-making.
05:00 Born-green startups vs. legacy corporates: different pressures, same imperatives.
06:00 Where opportunities lie: inputs for future food systems, alternative coffee and chocolate.
07:00 From “sustainability” funds to “energy transition” — reframing the narrative.
08:00 Partnerships in practice: pilots, off-take agreements, and startup collaborations.
09:00 The investment paradox — more money into NFTs than climate at ESG’s peak.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Hampus Jakobsson, General Partner at Pale Blue Dot, one of Europe’s leading climate-focused funds. With shifting U.S. politics, renewed uncertainty around climate policy, and growing skepticism of “green hype,” Hampus shares why he defines climate investing as simply “not dumb investing.”
From Donald Trump’s return to the White House to Europe’s resilience, China’s role, and the gritty reality of scaling “boring but effective” solutions, this conversation is a masterclass in how investors, corporates, and founders can navigate climate risks — and seize opportunities.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:10 Political whiplash — Trump, vibes, and the stress test for climate policy.
02:41 Why Europe must stop looking to the U.S. and start managing risk at home.
04:55 Climate investing = not dumb investing — the overlooked opportunities in obvious inefficiencies.
06:50 Case study: last-mile delivery — why disruption often comes from solving “boring” problems.
08:15 Advice to corporates — how CFOs should think about risk and resilience.
09:30 Advice to founders — why no more free pilots, and how forward-deployed engineering wins.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this session, Mette Hoberg Tønnesen, CEO of The Link, joins Jeppe Høier, EUVC Corporates, for a conversation moderated by Andreas Munk Holm. Together, they explore how corporate venture networks can outlive the 3.7-year average lifespan of CVCs, bridge the gap between startups and corporates, and unlock Europe’s full potential as an alternative to US and Chinese capital.
From translating corporate complexity for startups to tackling “startup theater” and making CVCs real value creators, this is a roadmap for corporates who want to build networks that actually last.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:45 Why most CVCs only last 3.7 years — and how networks can change that.
01:40 The Link’s mission: making startups scale faster by bridging silos and translating corporate-speak.
03:00 Where corporates fumble: unclear pilots, wasted startup time, and overbearing “strategic” investors.
04:00 The classic value-adds — brand, expertise, assets, customers, data — and why most corporates should start small.
05:00 Venture = high school: why networks and rubbing shoulders matter more than PowerPoints.
06:00 Corporates must show up — at TechBBQ and startup events, not just closed-door investor tracks.
07:00 Early-stage CVC is hard: why late-stage corporates can wait, but seed/A needs sweat and trust.
08:00 Europe’s opportunity: corporates stepping up to keep startups from exiting to the US.
09:00 LP investing as a gateway: why corporates should back funds to tap networks and learn the game.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm speaks with Gina Domanig, Managing Partner at Emerald Technology Ventures, and Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures, on what it really takes to design, launch, and evolve corporate venture capital programs that endure.
They explore how corporates can balance financial credibility with strategic impact, why governance and structure matter, and how to bridge the cultural gap between startups and corporates. From KPIs and deal flow to long-term commitment, this is a masterclass in building CVCs that deliver more than returns.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:00 Building a CVC program is more than financial—it’s a cultural shift.
01:00 Exploitation vs. exploration — balancing today’s business with tomorrow’s bets.
02:00 The role of funds, reserves, and acting like financial VCs to gain credibility.
04:00 Gina’s “CVC as a service” model — how Emerald engages with multiple corporates.
05:00 Why corporates must commit resources to both financial and strategic value creation.
06:00 Engagement processes — KPIs, partnerships, and designing for tangible outcomes.
07:00 Mining deal flow — helping corporates benefit even from startups not invested in.
08:00 Deliverables matter — deal flow, pilots, KPIs, and leadership pressure for follow-through.
09:00 Investor + consultant? Or financial + strategic VC? — the real identity of CVCs.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this session, Jeppe Høier sits down with Mike Smeed, Managing Director of InMotion Ventures (the venture arm of Jaguar Land Rover), and Ida Christine Brun, Partner at Maersk Growth. Together, they dive into how two global giants—one in mobility and one in logistics—approach corporate venturing, what they’ve learned about balancing financial returns with strategic purpose, and how they decide where to play in a fast-changing landscape.
From decarbonization and electrification to supply chain innovation and customer-centric business models, Mike and Ida share firsthand lessons on what works, what doesn’t, and how corporates can create real value in venture.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
01:00 Balancing financial return with strategic alignment — why both guests insist on “financial first.”
03:00 The big themes: decarbonization, electrification, and digital supply chains.
05:00 What corporates can offer startups that VCs can’t — customer access, distribution, and industrial know-how .
06:00 Avoiding “tourist investing” — the discipline corporates need to compete with top-tier VCs .
07:00 Building trust with founders — transparency, aligned incentives, and patient capital .
08:00 Lessons learned: when corporate bureaucracy kills speed, and how to prevent it .
09:00 Looking forward: why corporate venturing will be central to Europe’s green and digital transitions.
From governance models to internal alignment, they share the blueprint for how corporate venture arms can thrive beyond the 3.7-year industry average lifespan. The discussion ranges from financial vs. strategic returns, to the “King of the Hill” philosophy, to why equal-win partnerships are essential if corporates want to play the long game.
This is essential listening for corporate leaders, founders, and investors who want to understand how to build CVCs that stand the test of time.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:12 Balancing short-term pressures with long-term horizons in corporate venture.
01:00 Measuring strategic impact: why financial returns aren’t enough, and how to keep communication continuous.
02:00 Governance models: how Fidelity and TDK designed their investment committees.
03:12 Strategy vs. finance: why it’s a false choice and the case for picking future market leaders.
05:00 The “King of the Hill” concept: investing in potential category leaders even before markets exist.
06:00 Why the financial bar must come first—and how corporates can offer startups more than just capital.
07:00 Avoiding the “strategic-only” trap: why CVCs fail and how to last beyond the 3.7-year average.
08:00 Working with champions inside the mothership and building early success stories.
09:00 Equal-win partnerships: why both corporates and startups must feel the value for relationships to endure.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this episode, Florian Noell, Partner at PwC, and Gina Domanig, Managing Partner at Emerald Technology Ventures, join Jeppe Høier to explore why limited partner (LP) investing is emerging as the smartest entry point for corporates entering venture.
From accessing deal flow and ecosystems to building internal conviction and avoiding common mistakes, Florian and Gina share their playbooks for making LP positions deliver both financial returns and strategic impact.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered
00:00 Why PwC chose LP investing as part of its corporate venturing activities.
02:00 Ecosystems, neighborhoods, and the importance of other LPs around the table.
03:00 Gina on structuring LP relations to meet both financial and strategic goals.
04:30 The role of sector specialists, KPIs, and deal platforms in delivering value.
05:45 Running “sprints” with corporates to align strategy and business units.
06:45 Beyond capital: how LP investing enables startups to access global corporates.
08:00 Building trust and staying engaged with GPs to unlock real value.
09:00 Complementary models — Emerald’s cleantech depth vs. PwC’s global reach.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe’s leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.
In this session, Linn Clabburn, Head of CVC at Inter IKEA Group, and Destana Herring, Partner at Regeneration.VC, explore how corporates and VCs can partner with founders without overshadowing them.
From aligning on objectives to translating “corporate scale” into startup reality, Linn and Destana share how trust, sparring, and clarity in the boardroom can make or break collaboration.
🎧 Here’s what’s covered:
00:10 Scale with, not over, founders: why trust is the foundation.
01:00 The “love triangle” — navigating the CVC, VC, and founder dynamic.
02:30 Different ambitions, shared value — why alignment before investing is key.
04:00 Case study: IKEA + Regeneration joint investment and aligning KPIs.
05:00 Translation role of VCs — turning corporate jargon into tangible founder action.
06:00 What scale means at IKEA vs. in a startup — and how to bridge the gap.
07:00 Success looks different — iterating market applications until corporate fit arrives.
08:00 Boardroom courage — how to challenge each other without pulling founders apart.
09:00 Unified front — why investors must spar privately, align publicly.