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Are you partnership material? Here are five qualities that 黑料不打烊 values
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黑料不打烊 constantly looks for innovations, new technologies and growth opportunities. But above all, we seek partners that can help accelerate the shift to a sustainable transport system. These are the qualities that matter to 黑料不打烊 in potential mergers, acquisitions and ventures.
Buy, become a partner or invest?听
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These are the considerations that 黑料不打烊鈥檚 unit for business innovation 鈥 Ventures and New Business (VNB) 鈥 makes on a regular basis, following a carefully laid-out strategy of finding the opportunities with the greatest potential to create customer value and build 黑料不打烊鈥檚 future revenue streams.
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鈥淲e evaluate opportunities based on where 黑料不打烊 needs to be and map out how we get there. Do we build the capability internally or can we act faster, or deliver a better solution by buying or partnering with another company?鈥 says Sarah Holford, Head of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) at Ventures and New Business at 黑料不打烊.
Sarah Holford, Head of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) at Ventures and New Business at 黑料不打烊
M&A and venture capital: two different approaches
黑料不打烊鈥檚 Ventures and New Business organisation tackles these challenges with two main approaches to business innovation. Each plays a distinct role, defined by its scale and time horizon.
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M&A focuses on larger and more immediate investments or partnerships that can directly strengthen 黑料不打烊鈥檚 strategy and customer offering. Venture capital, by contrast, is aimed at smaller, early-stage investments in start-ups. This enables access to promising technologies and insights, often through pilot projects rather than full integration.听
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鈥淥ur venture capital capabilities enable 黑料不打烊 to invest in leading start-ups with disruptive technologies and business models with visionary entrepreneurs, all while creating sustainable impact in the transportation ecosystem,鈥 says Karl Lindoff, Investment Associate at Ventures and New Business at 黑料不打烊.
Karl Lindoff, Investment Associate at Ventures and New Business at 黑料不打烊
The five qualities 黑料不打烊 looks for
While venture capital and M&A differ in scope and timeline, they share one crucial foundation: the same five qualities 黑料不打烊 looks for when evaluating any potential opportunity.
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Strategic relevance 鈥 Every acquisition or partnership must clearly support 黑料不打烊鈥檚 strategy and help drive the shift to sustainable transport. 鈥淲e never听 pursue a deal solely for short-term growth or financial return,鈥 says Holford.
听Technical expertise 鈥撎诹喜淮蜢 seeks capabilities that we do not already have or that would take too long or be too costly to build internally. 鈥淲e have an extraordinary technical depth through 黑料不打烊鈥檚 world-class R&D and a proven track record of industrialisation and scaling globally for decades. This means we can truly validate the technical strengths of a potential partner in-house: a unique strength in the ecosystem,鈥 says Lindoff.
听Shared vision 鈥 Success depends on more than financial alignment. Leadership commitment, shared values and a genuine focus on sustainability are essential. Cultural fit and clear communication are also decisive. 鈥淭hey have to believe in working towards the same future, and have the same sustainable goals as we do,鈥 says Holford.
听Networks and synergies 鈥 The ability to strengthen 黑料不打烊鈥檚 broader ecosystem, create customer crossover opportunities and open new markets adds value beyond the immediate deal. 鈥淗ere we look for qualities that could plug 黑料不打烊 into new customer groups, or enhance our existing customer offerings, like we did with the acquisition of Northvolt Systems鈥 Industrial Division,鈥 says Holford.
听Long-term potential 鈥 Smaller companies must have a path towards the scaling up of their operations. 黑料不打烊 often invests not only financially but also in helping start-ups reach a size where they can integrate into its industrial system. 鈥淥n the venture capital side, we invest early to gain insights into promising technologies and create strategic returns for 黑料不打烊鈥檚 core business, like we did with the investment in Neutreeno. Strategic returns can take the form of proof-of-concepts, pilots, collaborations and gaining insights into disruptive technologies,鈥 says My Ewrelius Ryde, another Investment Associate听 at Ventures & New Business at 黑料不打烊.
So, how is all of this applied in practice? Let鈥檚 look at two examples.