The Art of Corporate Venture

Quarterly analysis: Q2 2021

Monthly analysis: June 2021

Innovative regions: California, New York, Massachusetts, Texas

The global electricity market is worth around $3 trillion a year and is only likely to get bigger. But if electricity power generation fails to keep up with demand securely and flexibly, what trade-offs need to be made for which devices gets what level of allocation?

Sector report: Information Technology

Softbank enabled the cybersecurity software provider Cybereason to secure crossover financing at a valuation likely to have exceeded $3bn. This year seems set to be a record one for the broader corporate-backed cybersecurity space, with valuations spiking up.

AG2R La Mondiale committed capital to lending platform Younited Credit. The larger round is not surprising as the alternative lending space is experiencing a recovery after the pandemic shock.

The China-based ride hailing service company debuted in an upsized $4.44bn IPO, giving potential exits to several corporate backers that are among some of its largest external shareholders.

A number of corporate backers scored an exit from trucking services marketplace Full Truck Alliance (Manbang Group), as the latter went public in the US. This transaction exemplifies an upward trend in exits for corporate-backed businesses from the transport and mobility space.

Lithium-ion battery provider Northvold has obtained its latest financing via a private placement co-led by Volkswagen and also backed by Scania.

Neo4j, a US-based provider of graph-centric database and related products, has raised $325m at a more than $2bn valuation in its series F round led by France-based private equity firm Eurazeo.