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In recent months we’ve seen quite a few corporate VC units either shut down, or get spun off, as their corporate parents grapple with how to deal with a tough macroeconomic environment. That’s not always the case though – we’re also seeing a number of other CVCs get launched, and some existing CVCs launch big new funds.
My guest today is in the latter category – I speak to Ingo Ramesohl, managing director at Robert Bosch Venture Capital, the CVC arm of German engineering and technology company Bosch, which is known as Bosch Ventures for short.
We talk about the brand new €250m sixth fund that the unit just launched, and their plans for it, as well as more broadly, why it is so important for companies to push ahead with innovation even when the going gets tough – and why those that stay the course can benefit from a competitive advantage in the market.
We also talk a lot about Open Bosch, which is Bosch Venture’s in-house venture clienting arm – we touch on how they select companies and allocate resources, why its important to be one of a startup’s early customers in order to be part of the innovation, and what areas the unit is looking at – such as data centres and healthcare – to help position it’s parent company for the massive industrial disruptions on the horizon.