In this episode of Venture Ahead, recorded at South Summit Brazil in Porto Alegre, IE Business School professor Joe Haslam sits down with Nicolas Sauvage, President of TDK Ventures, to explore what it means to be a resilient and impact-driven entrepreneur in today’s fast-changing world.
Sauvage talks about the journey of a startup and the right moment for scaling, as well as how different VCs can support entrepreneurs in these different stages. He also unpacks the idea of “impact scalers”—entrepreneurs who combine sustainability and profitability to drive large-scale change.
The conversation dives into the economics of scaling, the role of a good manager, and the evolving landscape of corporate venture capital. Sauvage makes a bold case for VCs as “superheroes” who empower entrepreneurs, and challenges venture capital to see entrepreneurs as customers.