Addressing pain points + exploring early-stage trends with Kevin Weber of Amex Ventures

In this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, I interviewed Amex Ventures Managing Director Kevin Weber about some of the nuances between traditional VC and corporate venture capital. It’s quite a mix: he’s looking for founders who can create value for individual American Express cardholders and the firm itself, so we talked about what types of opportunities he’s looking for, some of the problems he’s trying to solve, and the role risk plays in pushing organizational boundaries.  “In many cases, I actually want to take more risk in some of the investments that I'm going to make because that risk and the investment that I'm making for the potential opportunity that I could have to American Express is likely worth the bet,” he said. If you’re interested in pitching Amex Ventures or another CVC, listen in for insights on fintech, AI, and e-commerce investments, the importance of aligning startup strategies with corporate goals, and key advice for first-time founders on fundraising and market positioning. Episode summary 00:19 Meet Kevin Weber: Amex Ventures' Managing Director 00:42 The Role of Corporate Venture Capital 01:24 Kevin's Career Journey 02:53 Amex Ventures' Investment Strategy 03:06 Differences Between Corporate and Traditional VC 04:05 Strategic Value and Partnerships 05:30 Focus Areas and Portfolio Companies 07:49 AI and Machine Learning in Venture Capital 09:29 Investment Process and Founder Relationships 15:11 Turning Investments into Partnerships 20:23 Collaborating with Businesses to Achieve Goals 20:39 Addressing Pain Points and Future Trends 21:10 Focus on AI 22:23 Business Goals and Fraud Prevention 24:09 Investment Strategies and Pivots 25:37 Exit Strategies and Acquisition Policies 31:40 Working with Accelerators and Incubators 34:44 Advice for First-Time Founders 39:07 Risk Tolerance in Corporate Venture Capital Links Kevin Weber, Managing Director, Amex Ventures Amex Ventures Weber joins Amex Ventures, 6/12/2023, Global Corporate Venturing Leadership Society Jobs at Amex Ventures Goodie Nation Follow Fund/Build/Scale on LinkedIn Subscribe to FBS on Substack Thanks for listening! – Walter.