January 9, 2012 source: Xconomy
Corporate partnering is the keystone of Allegis Capital’s investment strategy. Given my 15 years as an investor, I recently put together these thoughts on partnering which were distributed by XCONOMY and Global corporate venturing publications.
Fifteen years ago, the expansion model of a startup was fairly linear: The first three years were dedicated to building the business domestically. Year four generally saw European expansion. And by year five, the company was starting to explore the Asian markets.
The emergence of the Web as a viable commerce vehicle, though, brought about a paradigm shift in the startup world that obliterated that model—and forced entrepreneurs to change their plans. Rather than ignoring the global marketplace, today’s smart startups need to think with an international perspective from Day One—and work quickly to expand their footprint.
Of course, becoming part of the global network during a company’s formative days (when budgets are tight and research and development is crucial) isn’t easy, even with the advances and inroads the Web has introduced. At Allegis Capital, where I am managing director, many of our portfolio companies have found that the surest path to becoming an international company is by partnering with large, multinational corporations.
It’s a strategy that might sound curious at first. Big business works at a different speed and with different priorities than the startup world. But the backing of a large corporation can not only supplement a startup’s bottom line; it can also open doors that might otherwise remain firmly shut.
Beyond that, this sort of strategic partnership can provide market analysis that is impossible for startups to gather on their own, acting—essentially—as the ultimate focus group…
Read the rest of the article at XCONOMY or Global corporate venturing publications.
Tags: Bob Ackerman, corporate partnerships, funding, global markets