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🎙️ The Status of Corporate Venture Building – with Martin Sondenheimer In this episode of Beyond Core, we explore the evolving world of corporate venture building with Martin Sondenheimer, former Global Head of Corporate Venture Building at Munich Re. With over two decades of experience in innovation, investing, and building ventures, Martin shares a candid and in-depth view of the current state of corporate venturing—and where it's headed next. We dive into: - THE THREE MAJOR PHASES OF CORPORATE VENTURE BUILDING—AND SIGNS OF A FOURTH ON THE HORIZON - THE PROS AND CONS OF MAJORITY VS. MINORITY OWNERSHIP MODELS - THE TENSION BETWEEN STRATEGIC RELEVANCE AND INVESTOR-READINESS - WHY TALENT AND INCENTIVES REMAIN ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FOR CORPORATE STARTUPS * How AI is becoming a catalyst for new venture studios and innovation strategies Martin’s insights are both practical and thought-provoking, especially as he outlines what’s required to build ventures that are strategically integrated yet operationally independent from the corporate “mothership.” > “The next generation of corporate venture studios will succeed by building strategically relevant businesses—while staying free from corporate complications.” Tune in to hear what’s working, what’s not, and what the future holds for venture builders inside corporations. Learn more at www.fastbreak.one [http://www.fastbreak.one] and get more insights Linkedin of Martin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-sondenheimer-a0a32711b/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-sondenheimer-a0a32711b/] 📍 Listen now and learn how to rethink your approach to growth, innovation, and new business building.

In this episode of BeyondCore, we explore how ecosystem thinking can help business leaders unlock new growth beyond their core business. Our guest, James Meyer, a key leader at SRAM and former founder of Quarq Powermeter, shares how SRAM built its AXS ecosystem to scale innovation and create new market opportunities. 🚀 What Business Leaders Will Learn: ✔️ How SRAM’s AXS ecosystem transformed the cycling industry and what it teaches about building scalable platforms ✔️ The three phases of ecosystem development – from product-market fit to scaling ✔️ Why an open vs. closed ecosystem strategy is critical for long-term success ✔️ The power of standards like UDH (Universal Derailleur Hanger) in driving industry adoption ✔️ How entrepreneurial execution fuels innovation inside established companies 🔗 Whether you’re leading a corporate innovation team, driving digital transformation, or scaling new ventures, this episode provides actionable insights on ecosystem strategies and business model innovation. 👉 Like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on building new businesses, platforms, and AI-driven ecosystems! 📢 Follow SRAM & James Meyer: 🔗 SRAM Global Website: https://www.sram.com/en/sram [https://www.sram.com/en/sram] 🔗 SRAM Dev Center in Germany: https://www.sram.com/de/zipp/zipp-med… [https://www.sram.com/de/zipp/zipp-med…] 🔗 James Meyer on Linkedin: / james-meyer-08214b1 Our Services: 🔗 www.fastbreak.one [http://www.fastbreak.one] 🔗 Platform Innovation Kit: www.platforminnovationkit.com [http://www.platforminnovationkit.com] 🔗 AI Innovation Kit: www.ai-innovation-kit.com [http://www.ai-innovation-kit.com] BEYONDCOREPODCAST #SRAM #CYCLINGINNOVATION #ENTREPRENEURSHIP #ECOSYSTEMTHINKING #AXS #FUTUREOFCYCLING #BEYONDCORE VENTUREBUILDING #CORPORATEVENTUREBUILDING

This episode of our BeyonCore podcast, hosted by Matthias Walter and Natalie Lamborghini, features Peter Sandberg, an innovation strategist based in Stockholm, Sweden. The discussion centers around co-innovation, ecosystems, and the shift from ego-driven innovation to collaborative innovation (eco-innovation). Key Takeaways: 1. The Importance of Co-Innovation Companies today must embrace co-innovation to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Innovation is no longer just about a single company improving its products; it’s about collaborating across industries to develop integrated solutions. Peter Sandberg works for Combient, a Swedish innovation network that includes 38 multinational companies in Scandinavia. Combient facilitates collaboration between these companies to accelerate innovation and digital transformation. 2. The Challenges of Innovation in Large Companies Many companies focus only on short-term gains, which leads to incremental innovation rather than transformative change. Founder-led companies tend to be more visionary and long-term-focused than non-founder-led corporations. Traditional corporate structures are not designed for cross-company collaboration, making co-innovation difficult. KPIs, governance structures, and risk-averse cultures slow down the adoption of co-innovation. 3. Innovation Requires a Shift in Mindset Companies must move from an egocentric (company-first) innovation model to an ecosystem-first approach. Platforms and ecosystems are reshaping business models, requiring companies to co-create solutions rather than build everything alone. The success of venture client models (corporates partnering with startups) shows a shift toward leveraging external innovation rather than developing everything in-house. 4. The Role of Storytelling and a Shared Vision A joint narrative is critical for successful co-innovation. Collaboration is easier when there is a common goal (e.g., responding to a disruptive force like AI or competing against dominant platform players). Companies must develop a shared vision and communicate it effectively to ensure alignment across stakeholders. 5. The Impact of Rapid Technological Change The rate of technology adoption is accelerating, forcing companies to innovate faster than ever before. AI, blockchain, and platform business models are disrupting industries, requiring businesses to rethink their strategies. Nick Bostrom’s "Black Marble" concept was discussed, where innovation can be beneficial but may also pose existential risks (e.g., nuclear weapons, AI, bioengineering). 6. The Future of Co-Innovation Networks like Combient will continue to grow and evolve as more companies realize the importance of collaboration. The challenge is not just thinking about co-innovation but implementing it—breaking down governance barriers and developing structures that allow companies to collaborate effectively. The next step in co-innovation will involve rethinking how industries work together to create value beyond traditional business models. Final Thoughts & Recommendations Books: The Invincible Company (on structuring innovation within corporations). Encouragement to explore science fiction to think about possible futures and how innovation might shape society. Foresight as a critical skill—companies need to anticipate trends rather than just react to them. The conversation concluded with an invitation to a conference in September, where Peter Sandberg will be speaking and showcasing his art, which he uses to illustrate complex innovation challenges. BEYOND CORE PROGRAM ### Learn more about our BeyondCore program for tranditional companies to create ecosystem strategies for markets, platforms and new business building.

In this episode of Platforms for Future, Diana Lesage discussed the role of Venture Studios in corporate innovation, differentiating them from accelerators and venture capital firms by their unique model of building companies from the ground up. She highlighted their growth in niches like FinTech and HealthTech, and the benefits of corporate venture building, where studios and large corporations collaborate to leverage each other's strengths. Diana emphasized the importance of clear expectations and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset within corporations to ensure successful partnerships with Venture Studios. Looking forward, she predicted an increase in specialized Venture Studios and more corporate collaborations. The episode concluded with Diana recommending her Global Venture Studio Database for exploring partnerships and suggesting further dialogue with Venture Studios to bolster corporate innovation strategies. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannalesage/ Newsletter: https://studiostack.substack.com/ Blog: https://medium.com/@roamy

In this episode of Platforms for Future, Lukas Lewandowski, Regional Director at Coursera, discussed B2B education platforms. He highlighted Coursera's growth, its response to COVID-19, and the role of online learning. The conversation also touched on AI's impact on education, emphasizing the importance of trust and staying adaptable. Lukas advised platform leaders to embrace technologies like generative AI. The episode provided insights into the evolving education landscape and the need for continuous learning and adaptation.