In this podcast episode, we sit down with Ted Graham, Head of Open Innovation and Principal of GM Ventures, responsible for evaluating investments focused on the electrification ecosystem, connecting the customer, the autonomous experience, and the digital enterprise. GM Ventures focuses on critical technologies that can be implemented in GM’s vehicles, manufacturing facilities, and operating businesses. They have made 54 investments with 22 exits and 24 still active startups – those are stats any VC would drool over.
We talk about open innovation, the power of collaboration between industry leaders and startups, and the path to electrification and autonomy.
Solving Corporate Challenges VIA STARTUP COLLABORATIONS
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By partnering with the best enterprise-ready startups, we help our clients address their biggest strategic challenges faster, with less risk and greater impact than traditional innovation models.










































Global Innovation Community
500+ VCs, Seed Investors, Accelerators, University Labs and Scouts grant us unparalleled, advanced access to relevant solutions. Our team of unbiased corporate strategists build custom programs, select vetted partners and optimize to deliver results.
Win-Win Results. 100+ innovation programs resulting in over $12m in revenue for startups now collectively valued at over $2bn.
VentureFuel Client Results: Major CPG
18.7% Sales Lift
VentureFuel Client Results: Major Alcohol Brand
5x Purchase Intent Lift
VentureFuel Client Results: Major CPG
9.3% Brand Lift
VentureFuel Client Results: Major CPG
22.8% Engagement (4x industry avg)
VentureFuel Client Results: Major CPG
73% Lift in Brand Consideration
Startup Entry
Current programs
The venturefuel visionaries
Visionaries are defined as having extraordinary foresight and imagination. Those who can see what isn't there. They can imagine the unimaginable and they have the grit to make it happen. Business Visionaries are the change-agents embracing new opportunities to drive outsized results. From the C-Suite to the up-and-coming disruptors, they are blazing new paths, discovering inventive solutions and powering the future. Join us each week as we speak with these Visionaries on our podcast: the entrepreneurs, investors and corporate leaders driving transformative change across business and society.
GM Ventures' Ted Graham
by Vanessa Rosado | 2022–06–01
Cisco's Elizabeth Bieniek
by Vanessa Rosado | 2022–04–13
How do you bring the entrepreneurial mindset to a large organization to drive change and unlock growth from within?
Meet Elizabeth Bieniek – she pioneers internal startups for Cisco's multibillion-dollar Collaboration & Security business using her expertise in building empowered teams that effectively navigate internal corporate workings to operate like a startup & deliver bleeding-edge products & solutions inside of the parent company.
In this podcast episode, we sit down with her to talk about intrapreneurship and the Metaverse.
The Earthshot Prize CEO Hannah Jones
by Vanessa Rosado | 2022–05–13
In this podcast episode, we sit down with Hannah Jones, CEO of The Earthshot Prize, a platform founded by Prince William & The Royal Foundation in 2020 to search, spotlight, and scale solutions that can help repair and regenerate the planet in this decade.
Hannah is a social and environmental advocate who believes in entrepreneurism, innovation, and collaboration to affect systems change. The Earthshot Prize will award five £1M prizes each year from 2021-2030 to provide 50 solutions to the world's greatest environmental problems.
She is also a non-executive director on the board of Oatly, a sustainability advisor to UCB – a global BioTech company, an advisor to the Queen's Gambit – an all-female SPAC, and a mentor for the Unreasonable Group.
the venturefuel pov
Inside the Innovation Huddle
by Vanessa Rosado | 2022–07–12
Every week, our team does an internal huddle where we share the most disruptive and exciting startups and emerging technologies from around the world. The only rule is that they can’t solve a current client challenge directly. This way, we retain our superpower of spotting creative adjacencies and disruptive outer-horizon solutions. Below, we share a selection of those startups and technologies with you!
This month we looked at startups targeting the alcohol industry. Check out our list inside!
Protecting Your Company’s Future
by Vanessa Rosado | 2021–10–15
Why do household names like Hertz, Brooks Brothers, Blockbuster, Sears or Gold's Gym go bankrupt, while less resourced companies in the same space thrive? The question becomes more and more urgent as we see how fast and how often incumbents are displaced by up-and-coming competitors.
Are these fates inevitable? Some industry leaders, tied to outdated business models, squeeze out incremental gains to appease Wall Street every quarter only to lose relevance with customers every year. While other, more future-forward entrepreneurs discover emerging customer needs, re-imagine solutions, and seize market opportunities with speed and agility.
Walk into the Metaverse
by Vanessa Rosado | 2022–01–28
This week we had the opportunity to sit down with the Godmother of the Metaverse, Cathy Hackl - our visionary of the year, and chat with her about all things media, metaverse and Web 3.0. During this session we discussed the implications of this emerging world for businesses and brands.
Below is a quick overview of what you ought to know, along with a few thoughts about entry points for your business or brand, as well trends to watch as consumers navigate - from influencers to mass adoption - and take their place in the metaverse.
Ventures To Watch
We evaluate thousands of emerging technologies and pioneering startups from around the world. Each week we highlight one that we believe can drive significant value for corporations.
Alphonso (LG Ads) enables smarter connected TV advertising. As the market leader in TV data and measurement software, Alphonso provides brands and agencies with real-time ad campaign measurement, closed-loop attribution for TV ads and TV audience extension across digital devices. Their success has not gone unnoticed, with LG recently investing $80M to leverage their software, data analytics and media activation capabilities across LG's home entertainment products. Listen to our conversation with Co-Founder Raghu Kodige on Apple or Spotify.
Description
Alphonso (LG Ads) enables smarter connected TV advertising. As the market leader in TV data and measurement software, Alphonso provides brands and agencies with real-time ad campaign measurement, closed-loop attribution for TV ads and TV audience extension across digital devices. Their success has not gone unnoticed, with LG recently investing $80M to leverage their software, data analytics and media activation capabilities across LG's home entertainment products. Listen to our conversation with Co-Founder Raghu Kodige on Apple or Spotify.
Reason to Believe
Electronics giant LG invested more than $80M in Alphonso in January 2021 to beef up its advertising business by leveraging Alphonso's software in its products. Their software offers not just advertising optimization, but analytics for brands and broadcasters.
Links
Recent news on the LG investment via WSJ. Listen to our conversation with Co-Founder Raghu Kodige here.