This feature is part of a 12-month overview highlighting the best practices in the industry, which will form a supplement at the Global Corporate Venturing Symposium and Banquet on May 18 - see related content.

Companies are playing an increasingly important role in helping nascent businesses grow and develop by providing money in return for a minority stake in what some are calling a "golden age" of corporate venturing.

The launch of Global Corporate Venturing 12 months ago has for the first time made it possible to gauge the size of the industry by number of programmes across the 10 main economic sectors.

There are more than 365 corporate venturing programmes, broadly split, at least…