Anish Patel, COO of Yamaha Motor Ventures gives us a glimpse into what the next 50-100 years could look like.
As sales of motorcycles begin to decline in some territories, Yamaha Motor Ventures, the investment arm of the Japanese motorised products group, needs to help the company diversify. Looking ahead to the next 50 years, the company is taking bets across a wider range of sectors, making for a multi-coloured portfolio.
Anish Patel, managing director and chief operating officer of the Silicon Valley-based CVC unit of Japan-based motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha Motors, joined the Global Venturing Review podcast to talk about the eclectic nature of Yamaha Motor Ventures’ investment themes – which reach far beyond just motors and are intended to help the parent company get set for the future.
We also speak about the recent transition in leadership at the firm earlier this year, the spectre of an economic downturn and the two new funds that Yamaha Motor Ventures has in store – namely the newly announced $100m sustainability fund, and the upcoming second exploratory fund, which is set to launch later this year – as well as how each of the funds will have a slightly different focus than the firm’s existing vehicle, including a stronger focus on software, fintech and insurtech.
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Fernando Moncada Rivera
Fernando Moncada Rivera is a reporter at Global Corporate Venturing and also host of the CVC Unplugged podcast.