The new landscape of the post-pandemic global economy shows three major demands that we need to pay attention to – digital transformation, sustainability of enterprises and environments, global-local partnerships for a new supply chain ecosystem model.
Tough human challenges such as climate change/net-zero, energy transition, public health crisis, workforce transformation, cybersecurity, need Deep Tech advancements. Ideally, Deep Tech should be applicable globally with localized partnerships and innovations, when it’s done right, local entrepreneurs could create value faster and benefit from global collaboration. But cross-boundary communication and relationship building is much needed for that ideal!
Four Capitals to Grow A Company Globally
There are at least four capitals to build and grow a company from zero, or to enter a new market for scaling up global market share — Intellectual Capital, Human Capital, Social Capital, Financial Capital(quoted Sunny Shuoyang Zhang, Ph.D., Z Lab). It takes a village, with different resources, to grow a company, this is especially true for Deep Tech. Technical teams need commercialization expertise, domain market understanding/strategy, and local relationship to build product-market fit and business success. Fortunately, remote collaboration and digitalization leveled up by COVID-19 might open new possibilities for us.
We will be hosting a roundtable with experienced speakers to share their stories in growing and scaling up innovations and Deep Tech startups.
Interview questions:
What are those opportunities, in terms of ventures as well as how people work, emerging from a digital new world pushed forward by COVID-19?
What are the best opportunities for Blockchain and AI startups now? What kind of startups are most interesting to you now?
How do you evaluate and select early AI/Blockchain companies to work with?
What will you bring to your portfolio companies beyond financial capital to help them grow? Success stories will be interesting!
What trends do you see in globalization and localization of innovations from startups or enterprises?
What advice will you give to Deep Tech scaleups entering a new market? How can we support them?
How can startups with less capital(s) compete with bigger players in a target market? Why do you choose to support untapped or underestimated founders?
What’s the potential of Blockchain or AI being leveraged by under-resourced scaleups to grow globally?
Speaker: Sunny Shuoyang Zhang, Ph.D., Z LAB Ventures
Dr. Sunny Zhang has been focused on the intersection of technology, people, and business for over 20 years, specializing in innovation adoption, digital marketing, social networks, and international business as a researcher, educator, and venture builder. She is a tenured marketing professor at the University of St. Thomas and the founding partner of Z LAB Ventures, a startup studio, and fund building and investing in impact-driven software startups from a scratch through a rigorous and repeatable process with minimized risk and maximized capital efficiency to address UN SDGs.
About Z Lab
Z LAB is a venture studio partnering with the world’s leading innovators to build and invest in impact-driven software startups. Combining intellectual capital, human capital, financial capital, and social capital, it’s a startup studio and fund building and investing in impact-driven software startups from a scratch through a rigorous and repeatable process with minimized risk and maximized capital efficiency to address UN SDGs.
Speaker: Barbara Bickham, Trailyn VC
Barbara is passionate about Deep Tech and international collaboration. She is CTO for multiple tech start-ups around the world, provides strategic advice and technical execution for companies incorporating Blockchain and/or Artificial Intelligence into their company and products. She works with CEOs, Accelerators, Incubators, and Boards on Technology Strategy, Business Strategy, Fundraising, Blockchain Token Economics, Blockchain Technology Strategy, and Architecture. Barbara is also a speaker on Blockchain Technology and Blockchain Funding Trends.
About Trailyn VC
Trailyn VC is a pre-seed Deep Tech Fund based in Los Angeles, California empowering the untapped and diverse deep-tech founders. It offers a virtual accelerator teaching the 8 week “Due Diligence and Sustainability Intensive”, mentors startups globally.
Speaker: Gonzalo Soriano, AC Ventures
Gonzalo Soriano is a senior investment analyst at AC Ventures, a corporate venturing vehicle sponsored by Mexico-headquartered Coca Cola bottler and distributor Arca Continental. He supports the investment process and portfolio management activities and is also in charge of research and entry strategy into new ecosystems.
About AC Ventures
AC Ventures is a CVC sponsored by Arca Continental, the third largest Coca-Cola bottler in the world with operations in the US, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina. Additionally, AC also commercializes Snacks in the US, Mexico, and Ecuador. The CVC arm invests directly in global high tech startups in sectors such as Industry 4.0, Retail, Embedded Fintech, Snacks and healthy food; and value chain for water and plastics. In addition, they act as LP in global VC funds.
Moderator: Jessie Chuang, Wise Ocean
With a background in Science and Engineering, Semiconductor Industry R&D, and consultancy experience with corporations on technologies and AI, Jessie has been dedicated to building interdisciplinary knowledge networks for big challenges and open innovations. She co-founds Wise Ocean with a team cross borders to help scaleups build up the growth journey through strategic partnerships.
About Wise Ocean
Wise Ocean offers US/Asia Launchpad program for Deep Tech companies. We curate and organize global and local resources and partners, align motivations, to offer structured help for scaleups entering/growing in the US and Asia areas. We help with navigation and evaluation of market resources and options, connect companies with the right people as needed. Learn more about US/Asia Launchpad program.
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