EPISODE · Feb 13, 2025 · 38 MIN
Scott Gunther: Corporate Venture Capital, the Venture Client Model, and Driving Innovation in 2025
from Scouting for Growth · host Sabine VdL
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Scott Gunther, who is not only a corporate venture capitalist and start-up enthusiast—he’s also the secret ingredient that helps big businesses think like nimble innovators! In this episode, we’ll hear how Scott’s unique blend of strategic vision and hands-on execution has set him apart in both blue-chip boardrooms and early-stage tech circles. We’ll dive into the venture client model, explore the evolving CVC (Corporate Venture Capital) landscape through the lens of 2025, and uncover the do’s and don’ts for insurance providers and emerging Tech founders. KEY TAKEAWAYS Recently, we’ve seen some stability in CVC investment. There’s been a strong volume of deal-flow dollars pouring into startup investment. At the same time, we’re seeing corporations change their attitudes and approaches to innovation and venturing. Some have closed their CVC funds, others have changed their investment focus, some have scaled back altogether, although some are quite the opposite. We’re starting to see CVCs experiencing slower exit returns, and their financials aren’t what they were in 2021/22. In the last 2-3 years, the savvy CVCs have done 2 things well: they’ve kept their portfolio afloat and held onto their strategic assets, while also helping it grow. This will be a trend for CVCs in 2025. We don’t put anything up to our investment community until we have an exec sponsor because post-investment is when the exec sponsor comes to life, and the VC model starts to hit home. We have a dedicated post-investment team that connects the startup and the corporate. The biggest opportunities for insurers and CVCs operating in that space is understand how people use and interact with digital technologies, and how they’re affecting society. Also, customer segmentation and proposition development are different for different demographics now, and how different cohorts are researched, bought, serviced, and claimed, it’s not one size fits all. The savvy insurers know what these macro-trends are and understand how the latest technology, data, and AI trends are. This could help us get to the holy grail: The segment of one! BEST MOMENTS ‘We’re going to see more competition, things are going to happen faster and cheaper, but there’s still an uncertainty about which things we should own and which we should outsource.’ ‘I think a lot of people focus on the E and S or ESG, but not the G, but the G incorporates some of the most crucial aspects about how a company runs itself.’ ‘The more efficient and effective a company can run, the more it can have on its customers and community.’ ‘We connect the startup with the corporate to create mutual commercial value, it’s an ethos we live by.’ ABOUT THE GUEST Scott Gunther is a Corporate Venture Capitalist and start-up enthusiast with a track record of partnering with business leaders to identify strategic opportunities and guide transformational change. Drawing on years of experience designing future-state, digital-first businesses and delivering critical programs across multiple industries, he brings a rare blend of strategic vision and execution prowess to his clients and colleagues. LinkedIn Firemark Ventures ABOUT THE HOST Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet. If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights. And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
What this episode covers
On this episode of Scouting For Growth, Sabine VdL sits down with Scott Gunther — corporate venture capitalist, startup enthusiast, and the kind of operator who can walk into a blue-chip boardroom and a messy early-stage war room… and still be useful in both. This episode is a sharp look at what’s really happening in Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) in 2025, how the venture client model is shifting corporate innovation from “invest and hope” to “partner and execute,” and what both insurers and founders need to do (and stop doing) to win in the next cycle. CVC in 2025: stabilising, but no longer a 2021 party Scott explains that CVC investment has regained a degree of stability, with meaningful deal-flow still moving into startup investment. But corporations are changing their approach: Some have closed their CVC arms. Others have narrowed focus. Some have pulled back entirely. And a few are doubling down. The biggest shift? CVCs are facing slower exits and weaker financial returns than the 2021/22 highs — meaning the “spray and pray” era is over. The new CVC edge: portfolio care + strategic discipline In the last 2–3 years, the best CVCs did two things well: kept their portfolios afloat (survival mode) protected and nurtured their strategic assets (growth mode) Scott sees this becoming the defining CVC trend for 2025: less headline-chasing, more hands-on value creation. The rule that saves everyone time: no sponsor, no deal One of Scott’s most practical lessons is about what happens after the investment. His team won’t take anything forward until there’s an executive sponsor in place — because post-investment execution is where most corporate-startup relationships either accelerate… or die slowly in meetings. That’s why Scott’s model includes a dedicated post-investment team whose job is to connect the startup and the corporate and drive mutual commercial value. Not vibes. Results. The big opportunity for insurers: understand humans, not just tech Scott points to the real frontier for insurers and innovation leaders: understanding how people interact with digital technology — and how that’s changing society. Segmentation, proposition design, and service expectations are no longer one-size-fits-all. Different demographics research differently, buy differently, and claim differently. The most savvy insurers will be the ones who connect: behavioural shifts customer cohort differences data and AI trends …to build better experiences and smarter underwriting. And if they get it right? That’s the “holy grail” Scott describes: the segment of one. Own vs outsource: faster, cheaper… still uncertain Scott also calls out a reality leaders feel daily: innovation is moving faster and getting cheaper — but the uncertainty remains around what capabilities should be owned internally versus outsourced or partnered. That decision is becoming a strategic differentiator, not an operating detail. Governance matters (and the “G” is underrated) Scott adds a leadership-level insight: many people talk about ESG, but too often ignore the “G.” Governance shapes how a company runs itself, manages risk, makes decisions, and scales responsibly — which ultimately impacts customers and communities far more than most leaders realise. Why this episode matters For insurance executives, this conversation is a clear message: innovation isn’t about investing in startups. It’s about executing partnerships that deliver outcomes. For founders, it’s a reminder: corporates don’t just want a product — they need internal sponsorship, measurable value, and a path to adoption. Because 2025 isn’t about who makes the most bets. It’s about who creates the most commercial traction — faster, smarter, and with governance built in.
NOW PLAYING
Scott Gunther: Corporate Venture Capital, the Venture Client Model, and Driving Innovation in 2025
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Jan 2, 2026 ·47m
Dec 21, 2025 ·46m