Venture Capital firm Cathay Innovation introduces C.Lab, a new division to guide businesses on technological shifts in the AI-driven transformation landscape.

Cathay Innovation Launches Strategic Advisory Arm, C.Lab

Cathay Innovation, a global venture capital firm, has announced the launch of C.Lab, a new strategic advisory arm, on December 2, 2024. This move aims to bridge international corporations with cutting-edge startups and technology players from Silicon Valley and other global tech hubs.

Based in San Francisco, C.Lab's mission is to support corporations in driving new business activities and innovation for long-term growth, resilience, and sustainable transformation. Matthieu Soulé, Head of C.Lab at Cathay Innovation, stated that corporations are increasingly seeking external partners and startups for transformation, with C.Lab aiming to be a hub for international corporations to meet startups and innovation from Silicon Valley and beyond.

Cathay Innovation manages over €2.5B AUM and has invested in over 100 startups, including Chime, Pinduoduo, Glovo, Wallbox, Owkin, Ledger, ZenBusiness, Alma, Descartes Underwriting, and more. The firm's platform connects founders with investors and its ecosystem of leading Fortune500 corporations to help startups scale and transform industries with consumer to enterprise and AI solutions in commerce, fintech, digital health, and mobility/energy.

C.Lab will work with corporations from Europe, North America, Asia, and Latin America in various sectors such as financial services, healthcare, energy, mobility, real estate, retail, luxury, and more. The C.Lab team, led by Matthieu Soulé and Arnaud Auger, former advisors at BNP Paribas, will offer services like tech startup and partner scouting, strategic studies, business development and operational support, and insight webcasts to help corporations shape their innovation strategies, understand technology trends, and navigate opportunities across industries.

Denis Barrier, Co-Founder of Cathay Innovation, stated that in the AI era, deeper collaborations between startups and large corporations are mission-critical for transformation. This sentiment is echoed by the increasing venture capital funding for AI startups, with the San Francisco Bay Area attracting $117B of venture capital funding for AI startups (three times of all of Europe in the same period per Pitchbook data).

Cathay Innovation was founded in Paris in 2015 and has offices in Paris, Berlin, Madrid, San Francisco, Mexico City, Shanghai, and Singapore. The launch of C.Lab represents a natural progression, expanding Cathay Innovation's services and value to corporations. The C.Lab team will be based out of Cathay Innovation's existing San Francisco office.

The search results do not provide specific information about which companies are supported by the new strategic consulting unit C.Lab of Cathay Innovation in Europe, North America, Asia, and Latin America. However, Cathay Innovation has always taken an ecosystem approach, connecting startups to strategic industry partners for mutual growth and opportunities. As AI continues to reshape industries and traditional business models, with Silicon Valley recognized as the epicenter of this transformation, C.Lab is poised to play a significant role in facilitating these collaborations.

For more information about Cathay Innovation and C.Lab, visit their website at www.cathayinnovation.com or follow them on LinkedIn.

Venture Capital firm Cathay Innovation introduces C.Lab, a new division to guide businesses on technological shifts in the AI-driven transformation landscape.