Global Corporate Venturing Rising Stars Awards 2016: Rohit Bodas

Great ambition is often a characteristic of a rising star. Rohit Bodas, therefore, is definitely one to watch, because he wants to become one of the world’s top tech investors.

Joining American Express (Amex) Ventures four years ago under the leadership of Harshul Sanghi, Bodas came from a venture background. He helped launch the corporate venturing unit Hartford Ventures for US-based insurer Hartford. Previously, he held a number of innovation and engineering roles at Motorola starting in 1999 before switching to ventures for his final two years there in 2007 after completing his MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Bodas said Amex Ventures was established to “invest in innovative startups to enhance American Express’ core capabilities and accelerate our efforts in digital commerce. Our primary areas of focus include data analytics, fraud and security, on-demand technology, loyalty, e-commerce and business-to-business services.

“So far, we have made investments in more than 20 companies around the world. All of the portfolio companies are still building their businesses, and many have successfully raised follow-on financings from the top venture capital firms.”

Bodas is board observer on nearly a third of those deals, including Persado, Skytree, Capillary Technologies, Radius Technologies Enigma.io and Cignifi.

He added: “The most satisfying part is the strategic collaboration I have been able to create between American Express and our portfolio companies. More than two-thirds of our portfolio companies have significant relationships with American Express in the form of commercial partnerships and pilots, helping us drive innovation at American Express, spur meaningful engagement and deliver value back to our portfolio companies.

“Through corporate venturing, we are able to work with like-minded investors, leverage external expertise in our field, and drive innovation from the outside-in. From a day-to-day perspective, it is a fantastic experience to work with entrepreneurs who are trying to change the world and to help them succeed by driving partnerships with large companies.”

Bodas said the burden on corporate venturing to deliver value and remain relevant had been growing as the industry evolves itself. He also said getting the larger company on-side had been a challenge: “When we started our group a few years ago, venture activity was not always baked into the mindset at American Express. We had to prove that we could deliver and consistently help solve the business’ tough problems through our relationships with startups and the innovative solutions they bring to the table. Our biggest opportunity is to continue to prove value – both financial and strategic – to both our parent company and our portfolio companies.”