Pre-Conference Day

Monday, June 22

1:00 – 5:00 pm

  • Connect with Symposium delegates ahead of the main event by participating in one of three unique networking opportunities taking place on the afternoon of 22 June.

    This year we have the following options to choose from:

    East End Food Tour (1.30pm - 4.30pm)
    Explore London’s vibrant East End on a guided culinary and cultural adventure. Sample classic British fish and chips, enjoy authentic Brick Lane curries with a drink of your choice, and finish with a sweet treat. Along the way, discover the bold street art and creative energy that define Shoreditch and Spitalfields.

    Tower of London Private Tour (2.00pm - 5.00pm)
    Step inside one of London’s most iconic landmarks on a guided visit to the historic Tower of London. Discover gripping tales of royal drama, intrigue, and imprisonment, marvel at the Crown Jewels, and meet the legendary Beefeaters and ravens who call the fortress home. The tour concludes with views of Tower Bridge and plenty of memorable photo opportunities.

    Speed Boat Sightseeing Tour (1.00pm - 2.10pm)
    Feel like James Bond for the day as you experience an extreme sightseeing RIB ride on-board the fastest London speedboats on the River Thames. See more of London in 45 minutes (approx.) than you’d expect to see in conventional sightseeing tours three times this length.

    These activities are subject to availability and can be selected during registration.

Conference Day 1

Tuesday, June 23

8:00 – 9:30 am

  • An exciting, by-invitation programme to meet women creating waves in the corporate venture ecosystem.

    Facilitators:

    • Karen Xiang, Investment Lead, Btomorrow Ventures 

    • Maija Palmer, Head of Content Strategy, GCV

    Panellists:

    • Jacqueline LeSage, Advisor, Founder and former Managing General Partner, Munich Re Ventures

    • Suzanna Chiu, Head of Amadeus Ventures, Amadeus IT Group

    • Jill Tully, Partner and Chief Investment Officer, Shell Ventures

8:15 am

  • Welcome reception where badges can be collected from the registration desk 

8:15 - 9:45 am

  • Grab a welcome hot drink and kick off your GCV Symposium by connecting with fellow peers as you network and explore the opening portfolio exhibition area – where selected, corporate-backed startups are ready to show you their latest innovations. 

9:30 – 9:40 am  

9:40 – 9:50 am  

  • Nicolas Sauvage, President, TDK Ventures; Chair, GCV Advisory Board 

  • James Mawson, Founder and CEO, GCV

9:50 – 10:20 am  

  • Europe has the talent and innovation to lead globally, but realising this potential requires bold investment, smart regulation and cross-border collaboration. Corporate VCs and institutional investors alike will need to think strategically about shaping the environment that enables entrepreneurship, scale-up success and long-term impact across the continent.

    Speaker: 

    • Merete Clausen, Deputy Chief Executive, European Investment Fund 

    Moderator: 

    • Maija Palmer, Head of Content Strategy, GCV 

10:20 – 10:40 am   

  • Europe's investment landscape is evolving into a more integrated system in which public and institutional capital plays an active role in shaping innovation, scale and cross-border growth. This fireside chat examines the strategic implications for CVC investors, highlighting the role of development banks, co-investment platforms and policy-driven funding in de-risking innovation and accelerating access to emerging ecosystems. 

    Speaker: 

    • Agnieszka Stasiakowska, Head of Sector, EIC Business Acceleration Services, European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) 

    Moderator: 

    • Bill Taranto, President, MSD Global Health Innovation Fund 

10:40 – 11:00 am   

  • What does it take to support a company like Waymo or Isomorphic Labs from the ground up, and how do corporate venturing and strategic investment models like GV, CapitalG and X fit into the picture? Explore how one of the world's most influential technology companies identifies, incubates and scales frontier ventures across AI, robotics and life sciences. 

    Speaker: 

    • Steven Kan, Other Bets Director, Alphabet 

    Moderator:

    • Victor Boyajian, Global Chair, Dentons Global Venture Technology

11:00 - 11:20 am

  • Join this candid conversation with two eBay leaders at the intersection of venture, recommerce and fashion as they explain how venture investing and close collaboration with business units are powering growth across the company. 

    Speakers: 

    • Henri Jaanimägi, Global Head, eBay Ventures 

    • Kirsty Keoghan, GM Fashion & Luxury Europe, eBay 

    Moderator: 

    • Tanja Emmerling, Partner & Head of Berlin Office, High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF)

11:20 am - 11:50 am

  • The UK is a compelling market for global CVCs looking to discover innovative high growth businesses outside of their home market, but what should they know about the UK landscape?

    Join this panel as we talk about the UK’s comparative advantages, the role intermediaries can play in catalysing ecosystems and best practice advice for ex-UK CVCs looking to enter the UK market.

    Panellists: 

    • Scott O’Brien, Chief Investment Officer, Innovate UK 

    • Maija Palmer, Head of Content Strategy, Global Corporate Venturing

    • Kevin Rodrigues, Chief Investment Officer & Managing Director, bp Ventures 

    • Alfredo Ramos, Investment Director, High Value Manufacturing Catapult 

    Moderator: 

    • Kienan Bruemmer-Gambles, Investor Ecosystems Lead, Innovate UK Business Connect 

11:50 am - 12:10 pm

12:10 - 12:40 pm

  • Six years and 40+ portfolio companies in, BTV is doing something unique: narrowing its thesis while expanding its global reach. The £200m Fund II targets three pillars - next-gen wellness, operational capabilities and sustainability - fuelled by new regional hubs in Brazil, Canada, Singapore and beyond that create tangible value for startups and BAT's operating units alike. 

    Speaker: 

    • Lukasz Garbowski, Chief Investment Officer, Btomorrow Ventures 

    Moderator: 

    • Alex Kolmakov, Partner, DLA Piper 

  • This fireside chat explores why patient capital, domain expertise and close industry collaboration are critical to scaling startups in areas such as autonomy, advanced materials, manufacturing and secure systems, and what it takes to build a credible pipeline in one of the world's most strategic and regulated technology sectors. 

    Speakers:

    • Priyanka Chopra, CEO and Managing Partner, IIMA Ventures 

    • Vipul Vachhani, Founder and CEO, Jaivel Aerospace 

    Moderator: 

    • Nicolas Sauvage, President, TDK Ventures 

12:40 - 1:00 pm

  • InMotion Ventures has spent three years rebuilding, through significant change at JLR and a venture market that looks nothing like it did a decade ago. Discover how the fund rewrote its thesis, why the strategic-versus-financial framing is broken, and how CVCs prove impact without abandoning what makes venture work. 

    Speaker:

    • Mike Smeed, Managing Director, InMotion Ventures 

    Moderator: 

    • Justin Watkins, Partner, Faegre Drinker 

1:00 – 2:25 pm

Networking lunch

1:10 – 2:10 pm

  • As geopolitical tensions rise and defence sectors across Europe and beyond accelerate innovation, this roundtable brings together CVCs, VCs and government-affiliated investors to discuss emerging opportunities in the dual-use space. 

    Lead speakers: 

    • Michelle Le Merre, Finance Director - Corporate Development & Strategy, BAE Systems

    • Bill Ballew, Defence and Dual-Use Expert, James Fisher Ventures 

    • Kemal Anbarci, VP & Managing Executive, Chevron Technology Ventures

    Facilitator: 

    • Amber Knapp, Relationship Manager, GCV 

2:25 – 2:45 pm

  • Corporate venturers are playing a larger role in shaping the energy transition across the globe. Global CVCs share how policy, industrial strategy, capital deployment and corporate-startup collaboration differ across markets, and what peers can learn from these different models. 

    Panellists: 

    • James Lockyer, Director of Portfolio Management, Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund 

    • Sebastiano Silvestri, Head of Corporate Venture Capital, A2A Life Ventures 

    • Ricardo Zapatero, Senior Investment Associate, Repsol Energy Ventures 

    Moderator: 

    • Ulderico Ulissi, Associate, The ZERO Institute - University of Oxford

2:45 – 3:10 pm

  • Join Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) for a showcase of pioneering ventures from the venture builder’s portfolio. Meet companies developing breakthrough technologies to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges across energy, industrial decarbonisation and resource efficiency. 

    Hosted by Sam Harman, Partner and Head of Deep Tech at OSE, the session will provide an introduction to the Oxford innovation ecosystem and highlight current opportunities emerging from science-led entrepreneurship and deep technology. 

     

    Host: 

    • Sam Harman, Partner & Head of Deep Tech, Oxford Sciences Enterprises 

     

    Presenting Ventures: 

    • Chris Kimmett, CEO, ODQA 
      Odqa Renewable Energy Technologies – Harnessing heat from the sun to develop a zero-carbon alternative to fossil fuels for cost-effectively powering industry at scale 

    • Roberto Ricci, CFO, Seloxium 
      Seloxium – Developing selective recovery processes for critical and precious metals, unlocking billions of dollars in lost value from complex industrial streams. 

    • Daniel McMahon, Director & CEO, Snowfox 
      Snowfox Discovery – Delivering clean hydrogen at cost parity, capturing a $200bn+ market while lowering global emissions. 

3:10 – 5:00 pm

  • This hands-on workshop is designed for corporate innovation leaders who are actively building ventures, or those who would like to consider starting a CVB programme of their own. Participants will work through real venture-building scenarios to identify and fix the most common failure points through guided dialogues and peer discussions. 

    Lead speakers:

    • Axel Deniz, CEO, Bosch Business Innovations 

    • Jasdeep Sawhney, former Managing Director, InMotion Venture Studio 

    • Dave Ewing, Head of Technology Commercialisation, BAE Systems Launchpad 

    • Pete Stirling, Founder & CEO, STL Tech

    Facilitator: 

    • Mark Pihlstrom, Partner, Faegre Drinker 

3:10 – 4:10 pm

3:10 – 4:10 pm

  • This Chatham House roundtable brings together a group of veteran CVC leaders who have run their units for over a decade to share insights and lessons learned along the way. Discussion will focus on navigating capital-intensive sectors, the hybridisation of corporate venturing with external LPs, and integrating corporate venture building alongside traditional CVC models, offering a unique opportunity to explore long-term strategy, risk management and innovation impact in a confidential, peer-to-peer setting.  

    Speakers: 

    • Select group of Titans

    Facilitator: 

    • Jim Mawson, Founder and CEO, GCV

  • Keystone research shows that almost 40% of CVCs now have professional Platform teams that drive financial and strategic value for both parent and portco, making CVCs the new partner of choice for startups in many sectors.  Join these Platform leaders to explore successful approaches to maximize value for the parent and their portfolio companies. 

    Session leaders: 

    • Patty Burke, Principal, GCV Institute 

    • Tjerk Joustra, GM Business Development, Shell Ventures (Community Co-Chair) 

    • Oliver Fitz-Gibbon, Head of Platform, InMotion Ventures 

    • Inga Grieger, Managing Director & Business Development Director, BMW i Ventures 

4:15 – 5:15 pm

  • With gains in CVC scale and professionalism have come new roles, institutionalized operating processes and the need for portfolio performance metrics that reflect corporate norms. Join these Operations and Portfolio Management leaders to discuss operating and fund management practices for CVC resiliency and scalability.

    Session leaders: 

    • Patty Burke, Principal, GCV Institute

    • Johann Boukhors, Managing Director, ENGIE New Ventures 

    • Jill Tully, Partner and Chief Investment Officer, Shell Ventures

    • Peter Wozny, Head of Legal, Btomorrow Ventures

4:15 – 5:15 pm

    • How transferable is robotics technology across different industries? Will robotics be ‘nichey’ or genuinely scalable?

    • How to train autonomous systems: are simulated environments adequate or do we need real world data?

    • What to do with the human(s)? Where do we put him/her/them?

    Discussion participants include:

    • Dev Amratia, CEO, nPlan (a Chevron Technology Ventures portfolio company)

    • Sean Huff, Head of Ventures, James Fisher and Sons

    • Ben Lawson, VP Strategic Initiatives, Enterprise Mobility

    • Philipp Rose, Managing Director, Bosch Ventures

    • André Botelho, Principal, EDP Ventures

    Discussion moderator:

    • Tom Whitehouse, CEO, Leif Capital, and Director, GCV Energy and Resource Council

4:15 – 5:30 pm

  • Chair:

    Nicolas Sauvage, President, TDK Ventures 

5:15 – 9:00 pm

GCV Symposium summer party hosted in partnership with Dentons

Conference Day 2

Wednesday, June 24

8:30 am

8:30 am

  • Grab a welcome hot drink and kick off your GCV Symposium by connecting with fellow peers as you network and explore the opening portfolio exhibition area – where selected, corporate-backed startups are ready to show you their latest innovations

9:30 – 9:35 am

  • Speaker: 

    • Charlie Hayward, Deputy Managing Director, GCV 

9:35 – 9:50 am

9:50 – 10:05 am

  • This session centres on the technical rigour required for corporate VCs to bridge the gap between pioneering materials science research and the creation of a circular, high-performance physical economy. 

    Speakers:

    • Maximilian Kammerinke, Investment Manager, Henkel Ventures 

    • Markus Gatterwe, VC Investment Lead, Holcim MAQER Ventures 

  • Speaker:

    • Neeraj Makin, Senior Executive Vice President, Group Head - Strategy, Analytics & Venture Capital, Emirates NBD 

    Moderator: 

    • Victor Boyajian, Global Chair, Dentons Global Venture Technology 

10:05 – 10:35 am

  • As Web3 and blockchain technologies mature, CVC is playing an increasingly important role in shaping the ecosystem. This panel explores how corporates are investing in Web3 startups to drive innovation, access emerging technologies, and build strategic partnerships across sectors such as gaming, finance and digital entertainment. 

    Panellists: 

    • Ethan Feldman, Co-Founder & CTO, Talos

    • Chris Maurice, Co-Founder & CEO, Yellow Card

    • Sota Moriyama, CEO, YOAKE entertainment

    • Kaz Hadano, CEO, Sony Ventures 

    Moderator:

    • Yoko Fukata, Head of India, Sony Innovation Fund 

10:35 – 11:05 am

  • As space becomes a critical domain for security, infrastructure and economic resilience, governments and investors across Europe are rethinking sovereignty, collaboration and dependence on foreign technologies.

    Speakers: 

    • Rob Desborough, General Partner/Managing Partner, Seraphim Space 

    • Gianluigi Baldesi, Head of Ventures and Financing Office, European Space Agency (ESA) 

    • Takeshi Kodama, Head & Managing Partner, JERA Ventures 

    • Louis Head, Senior Associate, DLA Piper

    Moderator:

    • Luca Gori, Partner, DLA Piper 

11:05 – 11:35 am

  • This panel explores venture clienting as a global CVC trend, where corporates move beyond minority equity stakes to become early customers, revenue partners and validation engines for startups. 

    Speakers:  

    • Ronja Stoffregen, Director Corporate Venturing, Rehau New Ventures 

    • Terry Doyle, Managing Partner, TELUS Global Ventures 

    • Davide Ritorto, Innovation Management, Automobili Lamborghini

    Moderator: 

    • Tanya Prive, Managing Director, Silicon Foundry 

11:35 – 11:55 am

11:55 am – 12:25 pm

12:25 – 12:50 pm

  • Sustainability has become a corporate venturing imperative. This fireside chat explores how corporations are embedding sustainable innovation into their investment and innovation strategies, turning environmental responsibility into a driver of growth and competitive advantage. 

    Speakers: 

    • Matt Ridley, Director of Sustainability and Innovation, oneworld Alliance 

    • Raza Ali, Managing Partner, IAGi Ventures 

    Moderator: 

    • Maija Palmer, Head of Content Strategy, GCV

  • Artificial intelligence is redefining how critical infrastructure is powered, managed and sustained across energy systems, smart cities, aviation, telecommunications and industrial platforms. This discussion explores how frontier innovation translates into large-scale, real-world impact, from distributed generation and advanced storage to smart automation across transport and digital networks. 

    Speakers: 

    • Minette Navarrete, President & Managing Partner, Kickstart Ventures 

    • JD Englehart, Senior Investment Director, In-Q-Tel 

    • Thomas Schubert, Partner, Dentons 

    • Clément Aglietta, Co-founder & CEO, Edda 

    Moderator:

    • Gabriele Papievyte, Head of Ventures, XTX Markets 

    • Is your unit built to last? 

    • Navigating evolution, restructuring, and transition in CVC 

    Speakers: 

    • Martin Scherrer, Partner & Head of Managed Funds, Redstone

    • David Dowling, Counsel, Ropes & Gray LLP

    • Jeppe Høier, Co-founder, EUVC Corporate; former Partner, Maersk Growth 

    Moderator:

    • Charlie Hayward, Deputy Managing Director, GCV

  • What do GCV's proprietary data and advanced analytics tell us about the state of corporate venturing? Through evidence-based insights, find out how your team can maximise stakeholder value by optimising investment patterns, syndication and performance metrics. 

    Speaker: 

    • Joe Hook, Head of Data and AI, GCV

12:50 – 1:00 pm

1:00 – 2:30 pm

Networking lunch

2:30 – 4:00 pm

  • This executive workshop brings together senior corporate venture leaders, investors, innovation executives and strategic partners to explore one of the defining questions of the next decade: Who controls the future of supply chains? 

    This is not a traditional panel or fireside chat. The session is intentionally designed as a fast-paced, highly interactive experience where participants actively engage in live polling, executive debate, crisis simulations and collaborative strategy exercises. 

    Throughout the 90-minute workshop, attendees will work through real-world scenarios involving AI-enabled cyberattacks, semiconductor shortages, climate disruptions, workforce instability and resource nationalism. Participants will be challenged to think like executive leadership teams navigating high-pressure global disruptions - identifying vulnerabilities, investment priorities and difficult strategic tradeoffs in real time. 

    Lead speakers: 

    • Kemal Anbarci, VP & Managing Executive, Chevron Technology Ventures 

    • Bill Ballew, Defence and Dual-Use Expert, James Fisher Ventures 

    • Peter Wozny, Head of Legal, Btomorrow Ventures 

    • Amit Mulgaonkar, Senior Managing Strategist, Emerging Technologies, SRI International 

    Facilitator: 

    • Amber Knapp, Relationship Manager, GCV 

2:30 – 4:00 pm

  • For European and North American CVCs, the strategic case for expanding into Africa, the Middle East, South & Southeast Asia and adjacent emerging markets has never been stronger, yet the operational pathway remains opaque. 

    This roundtable brings together corporate venturing leaders who are based locally or those who have built on-the-ground presence in these regions to share what it actually takes, including navigating regulatory environments, identifying credible local partners, structuring co-investment relationships and building the internal conviction to move beyond familiar geographies. 

    Anchored in practitioner experience, this highly interactive session will showcase CVCs already operating in regions like North Africa, the Gulf and Türkiye, followed by an open discussion on what barriers remain and where the real opportunities lie. 

    Lead speakers: 

    • Minette Navarrete, President & Managing Partner, Kickstart Ventures 

    • Karan Goyal, Managing Director - Group Strategy, M&A and CVC, Emirates NBD 

    • Amey Mashelkar, Head, JioGenNext (Reliance Industries) 

    • Priyanka Chopra, CEO and Managing Partner, IIMA Ventures

    • Melis Yirçi, Innovation Business Development and Portfolio Manager, Tüpraş

    Facilitator: 

    • Nicolas Sauvage, President, TDK Ventures