Pre-Conference Day

Tuesday, June 22

1:30 – 6:00 pm

  • Regency Foyer

2:00 – 4:00 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.

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

Conference Day 1

Wednesday, June 23

8:00 – 9:50 am

8:00 – 9:50 am

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

    Facilitator:

    Christina Riboldi, Events Director, US, GCV

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. 

9:45 – 9:50 am  

  • 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. 

    Marjut Falkstedt, CEO, European Investment Fund 

10:20 – 10:50 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 keynote 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. 

    Stéphane Ouaki, Head of Department, European Innovation Council and SMEs, Executive Agency (EISMEA) 

10:50 – 11:10 am   

  • Discover how venture investing fits into eBay's broader financial and strategic agenda in this candid conversation. From capital allocation and portfolio building to AI, recommerce and the ever-evolving marketplaces, eBay will showcase how it aligns innovation with shareholder value.

    Henri Jaanimägi, Global Head, eBay Ventures

11:10 - 11:40 am

  • Learn how to stay relevant in the market through secondary sales – an up-and-coming core discipline for CVC teams today, with fast-changing corporate strategies. 

11:40 am - 12:00 pm

  • 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. 

    Priyanka Chopra, CEO and Managing Partner, IIMA Ventures 

12:00 - 12:30 pm

  • 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. This panel brings together defence leadership to look at the role of space technologies in enabling strategic autonomy, in areas like satellites, data, communications and dual-use applications. 

     

    Speakers: 

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

    • Gabriele Papievyte, Head of Ventures, XTX Markets 

    Moderator: 

    • James Mawson, Founder and CEO, GCV 

     

12:30 - 1:00 pm

  • University venture funds are rapidly becoming a bridge between academic research and commercial impact, filling pre-seed gaps and accelerating spinout creation worldwide. Hear how academic institutions are structuring their funds, partnering with VCs and corporates, and reshaping early-stage innovation. 

    Speakers: TBC

    Moderator: 

    • Kim Moore, Editor, Global University Venturing 

1:00 – 2:30 pm

Networking lunch

2:30 – 4:00 pm

  • This candid, closed-door roundtable brings together a select group of leading GPs and corporate VC to examine what 'active' LP engagement really looks like in practice.

    The discussion explores how corporates can move beyond passive capital to become true strategic partners in sourcing, diligence, portfolio support and industry transformation. 

    Facilitator: 

    • Christina Riboldi, Events Director, US, GCV  

2:30 – 4:00 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. 

2:30 – 4:00 pm

  • This interactive roundtable explores how CVCs can unlock value and remain agile through secondary transactions.

    Participants will hear from leading corporate investors and fund managers about best practices for selling stakes, managing portfolio rotations and aligning capital deployment with shifting corporate priorities. 

2:30 – 4:00 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.  

4:00 – 5:30 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. 

    Speakers: TBC

    Facilitator: 

    • Amber Knapp, Relationship Manager, GCV 

4:00 – 5:30 pm

  • As AI continues to reshape industries and corporate investing, this roundtable convenes corporate investment and innovation leaders to examine the global AI landscape, especially those emerging in the Eastern Hemisphere.

    Participants will discuss how corporate strategy, cross-border competition and sector-spanning applications are influencing investment priorities. 

4:00 – 5:30 pm

  • Energy: Explore the next frontier in energy innovation with deeptech applications, from micro-electronics and edge AI to photonics. 

    Mobility/Transport: Discover software-defined transport, decarbonisation strategies, AI-driven innovations and operational efficiency, among others. 

    Speakers: TBC

4:00 – 5:30 pm

  • Chair:

    Nicolas Sauvage, President, TDK Ventures 

5:30 – 10:30 pm

GCV Symposium summer party 

Conference Day 2

Thursday, 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

9:40 – 9:45 am

  • Speaker: 

    • Charlie Hayward, Deputy Managing Director, GCV 

9:45 – 10:05 am

  • A forward-looking view of how large language models are evolving from technical breakthroughs into transformative tools shaping products, companies and society.

10:05 – 10:25 am

  • In this case study, a VC firm shares how it works with strategic partners to accelerate early-stage innovation across Europe and beyond.

10:25 – 10:55 am

  • 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. 

    Speakers: 

    • Ulderico Ulissi, Principal - Head, Global Climate Ventures, CATL 

10: 55– 11:15 am

  • 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 

11:15 – 12:40 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:  

    • Mike Smeed, Managing Director, InMotion Ventures 

    • Ronja Stoffregen, Director Corporate Venturing, Rehau New Ventures 

  • 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 

    Moderator: 

    • Maija Palmer, Editor, GCV 

12:40– 13:00 am

1:00pm – 2:30 pm

Networking lunch

2:30 – 4:00 pm

  • Facilitator: 

    • Liz Arrington, Co-Founder and Managing Director, GCV Institute 

     

2:30 – 4:00 pm

4:00 pm

Closing networking drinks