INSIGHTS / News

(The image above shows Natalia Lemarquis, CEO of Space Villages)

A cohort of SETsquared-supported start-ups recently had the opportunity to showcase at the Global Corporate Venturing (GCV) Symposium – Europe’s leading corporate venturing and innovation event.

It gave the showcasing companies a unique platform to tap into an audience of corporates seeking the latest technologies to enhance their products and services, as well as venture capitalists and angel investors.

The final cohort of companies was selected by a panel of investors from across SETsquared’s business acceleration and sector-led programmes and represented some of the most cutting-edge areas of deep tech and science including space, hydrogen, quantum, cyber security and future telecoms.

The last decade has seen huge growth in corporate venturing. In its annual publication World of Corporate Venturing, GCV tracked 7,500 companies recorded as having done some kind of corporate venturing activity and 2,273 corporates across the globe were actively investing.  It differs from traditional equity investment in that as well as funding it can also offer access to R&D test facilities, sales channels and industry expertise.

Natalia Lemarquis, CEO of Space Villages, a pioneering start-up in the robotics and space sector, working to deliver in-orbit servicing and repair of spacecraft and one of the showcasing companies said: “This event has been an incredible opportunity – for a start-up, it’s like being in a sweet shop. There are so many different types of investors here who are open and willing to discuss future opportunities. Corporate investors come with a breadth of knowledge of how a start-up should grow and they also have a good view of visionary investments and the future build-out of technology. Likewise, VCs are also interested in developing the new and entering our space. So, all round this has been a great event for us.”

Hugo Adams, Chief Commercial Officer of Kelpi, which is developing a unique biomaterial from seaweed to replace single-use plastic expected to be commercially available mid-2025, added: “The word I would use to describe this event is quality. The level of seniority of the delegates and the variety is much better than other events we’ve attended. We’re looking towards our Series A round and I’ve already had some good conversations with some funds here today which will serve us well in the future.”

SETsquared provides its member companies with multiple opportunities to pitch and meet with investors throughout the year. Chris Hill, Investment Manager, SETsquared explains: “A major value add of SETsquared membership, be that through our business acceleration centres or one of our sector-led programmes, is the opportunity to pitch and showcase to investor audiences throughout the year. The GCV Symposium and our annual Investment Showcase are the highlights of these opportunities.”

“Corporate venturing is a growing area and with lots of new units being established and in a fluctuating investment landscape – it can be a good option for start-ups – particularly with the growing trend of CVCs looking at earlier-stage companies.”

Interested in finding out more about corporate venturing? Read our latest blog