Corporate Venturing

Bamboo Capital Network - for Frontier Tech Angels

The Wharton Alumni Angel Network (WAAN) fosters an entrepreneurial community backed by the strength of the Penn and Wharton alumni network. We help members and entrepreneurs:

Develop and build relationships around investment opportunities
Learn about angel investing and discover the tools needed to become a better investor
Connect with exceptional mentors
Be a trusted, go-to destination for capital, advisory, or educational needs

Our GoalsWe seek to:

Surface high quality, early stage investment opportunities for Wharton and Penn alumni angel investors
Match entrepreneurs with the right set of angel investors and mentors

Process

The Kauffman Foundation recently (Sep 2016) published their study on corporate venturing. They noted Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) departure from previous patterns, where funds have been active for four years or longer, as opposed to only a couple of years. Is this an indication of persistence or success or both? Would not CVCs need to act in a similar matter to VCs where fund lengths are 10 years, in order to return the fund? Here at LightSpeed Innovations, we are planning a research piece in conjunction with several Penn and Wharton students on corporate venture structures and their implementation in the aerospace domain. What are the success factors? Are aerospace firms confronted with the Innovator's Dilemma. Are boards persuadable?
Join Us!

The Pitch

The startup skills we teach tech founders here at LightSpeed Innovations also can help veterans transition. We have partnered with the Service Academy Angel Network, and Bluestar Families to conduct 2 pilot programs in 2017 to enable VetPreneur success. We believe Steve Blank's lean start-up model and the Hacking for Defense platform builds enduring skillsets that support veteran entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs alike, not only giving them the opportunity to see how their skillset transfers, but also enables them to take advantage of their deep knowledge of the military and enable new innovations!

Learn about Hacking for Defense
Lean In (email Ellen)- inquire about supporting as a mentor, adviser, sponsor, or just follow us.

For Investors

In 2017, we plan to host several round tables in person and online to discuss success factors and investee viewpoints. Provide us with your ideas and insights, and help shape the discussion.