Welcome Letter: Triple Helix Venturing, October 8, 2014

Our motto since we launched in 2010 has been: “Truth springs from argument among good friends.” 

It has since then certainly been a time for passionate and well-argued discussion in the ecosystem of our three titles, Global Corporate Venturing, Global University Venturing and Global Government Venturing – the three strands of the triple helix*. There has been and remains discussion about the news, data and analyses of the merits and drawbacks of incubation, technology commercialisation, innovation trends and minority equity investment in third-party entrepreneurial companies through direct dealmaking or venture fund commitments.

One now self-evident truth, however, is now clear. Corporations, governments and universities can, at their best, be vital and supportive parts of the ecosystem. Their contribution is not just to be so-called dumb money to prime the pump or pump up the prices or fill-in a round brokered by a venture capitalist, nor just as an exit option, regulator or customer to a startup. Best means squaring the occasional circle to help those providing the money to the venturing unit, the entrepreneurs and the wider stakeholders in society.

This is not easy. Which is why our annual Global Corporate Venturing Symposium attracts corporate venturing units managing more than $20bn in assets on behalf of corporations with aggregate annual revenues of more than $4 trillion so they can share ideas, best practices, war stories and strike up or maintain the relationships that will help them do more and better deals in future. It is why the top 25 universities for innovation, as uniquely ranked by Global University Venturing, read our website and magazine and attend our Summit (in London on 21-22 October). And it is why we launched Global Government Venturing earlier this year to better understand and support the regional, national and supranational organisations providing tens of billions of dollars in capital and a host of tax and regulations to ease the lives of those making a difference in the world: the entrepreneurs and their investors.

But while the best corporate, university and government venturers have rightfully taken their place among VCs and others as responsible and helpful investors and partners to the best entrepreneurs, the ties between these different elements have sometimes struggled to be made to make the lives of all easier. It is why we developed this Triple Helix Venturing event to bring our three communities together – and host the awards reception for the 25 leaders of the Global Corporate Venturing Powerlist selected by its editor, Toby Lewis.

But while the sum of the three is greater than their parts, the ecosystem is bigger still. This is why we were honoured to be invited to join Thomson Reuters’ Venture Alpha West conference to better connect our communities into the venture capital, private equity and other intermediaries investing in private assets. Together really can be better. It is how friendships form and truth emerges.

*Final tickets sold here for our first Triple Helix Venturing conference, held at Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Half Moon Bay, California (near San Francisco) on Wednesday October 8th, 2014.