A corporate venturing veteran reflects on the lessons telecoms operators have faced in dealing with technology change and innovation during a period of regulatory change in the utilities sector.

In the second of a series of monthly interviews with leading venture investors, Andrew Gaule, founder of the H-I Network and Corporate Venture Senior Executive Forum, talks to Geoff McGrath, right, managing director of McLaren Applied Technologies, at the factory and Formula 1 centre in Woking.

A number of start-ups in our portfolio have considered taking an investment from a strategic customer. The idea is the large company will care more about the relationship if they own a percentage of the start-up company. The large company also feels better perhaps because they get upside if the start-up becomes extremely valuable.

In the first of a series of monthly interviews with leading venture investors, Andrew Gaule, pictured, founder of the H-I Network and Corporate Venture Senior Executive Forum, talks to York Chen, managing partner of iD TechVentures

This is the first in our monthly Ask Adam series where venturing expert Adam Caper, managing director of Synchrony Venture Management, answers the industry's questions. To comment or ask further questions, anonymously if required, please email: jmawson@globalcorporateventuring.com

Prof Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School

Corporations in the US have been slashing internal long-term research and development spending for decades and, most recently, investments in venture capital-backed start-ups but this has to change for their nation's health.

Economic upturn bodes well for companies looking externally for innovation through corporate venturing.

Reducing the tax deductibility of debt interest would reduce asymmetry and influence behaviour. This comment was first published in broadly the same form in the Financial Times in May.