Bell Mason Services Portfolio

Assessment and Planning

 

The proven Bell Mason Frameworks for CV&I Unit Development and Venture Development enable the seasoned BMG team to conduct both gap analyses on mature units and new unit readiness assessments for:

CV&I units:

  • Range of program types: CVC, Incubation/Commercial Piloting, Innovation Partnering

  • Range of industries: Technology, Healthcare, Financial Services, Energy/Clean Tech, Manufacturing, Materials, Consumer

Ventures/Portfolio companies:

  • Incubated or external venture-funded

  • Range of industries and business models

An assessment provides a quick evidence-based analysis of where a CV&I program stands relative to best practices for its stage of development, and guides highly targeted and prioritized recommendations for accelerating progress and reducing risk. BMG also provides a sister-assessment for portfolio companies/ventures – a critical process for providing immediate, actionable value to the portfolio company/venture team and, concurrently, providing the CV&I team with a snap shot and guidepost for practice validation/efficacy as it continues to build its portfolio of venture development and impact activities.

The Bell Mason Assessment approach has been continuously refined, over more than two decades, hundreds of CV&I programs and thousands of portfolio companies/ventures, both external and incubated. The Bell Mason Framework for Venture Development and Assessment tools, templates and techniques have been extensively adopted by corporations aiming to accelerate development of their in-house CV&I programs.

Process and Performance

 

BMG’s process and performance services translate key CV&I unit development requirements into streamlined and predictable operating processes (Deal Management, Investment Management (CVC and incubation/commercial piloting), and Portfolio Management, for example), customized to client environments.

BMG has also developed easy to use approaches for CV&I program performance tracking and management systems that highlight strategic impact – the most historically difficult measures for CV&I programs to define and track – as well as financial metrics. The result is a CV&I management system that guides and highlights program and unit progress vs. milestones in a consistent and standard way – yielding invaluable information for demonstrating to management that a unit is on track, as well as an early indicator to the CV&I team to readjust if it is not.

On the corporate venture side, we provide business strategy development and planning advice including best practice guidelines, development partnering processes and tools for accelerating progress and reducing risk.

Strategic Advisory

 

BMG also provides ongoing Advisory support for CV&I clients, offering seasoned, 3rd party specialist counsel and guidance across a range of issues at each stage of program development, and at key progress points/milestones including: annual CV&I program/business reviews and go-forward planning, quarterly portfolio reviews, investment and portfolio strategy development and balancing.

Executive Development services establish a common venturing language and approach throughout the corporation, and are customized for the senior executive level and for CV&I team and functional (Legal, finance, HR, etc.) groups.

Workshops impart ‘venturing DNA’ along with specific knowledge and skills, and address topics ranging from to Deal Management / Valuation for CVC, to Business Commercialization workshops for incubated and CVC portfolio companies. Workshops and seminars are tailored for the corporate client’s environment, and are highly interactive, featuring case studies and examples from BMG client experience and direct venturing experience. BMG offers many programs in conjunction with its Alliance partners.

Professional Development

 

Through partnership with Global Corporate Venturing, BMG has developed the first and only specialized Institute focused on industry advancement, staying power, and impact across the innovation ecosystem.

In today’s world of disruptive markets, where innovation and transformation are board-level priorities, the need for high-performance, scalable corporate venture programs is more important than ever. The Global Corporate Venturing (GCV) Institute was created to unleash the collective potential and power of corporates as strategic investors and innovation partners.

With its global reach and robust curriculum, the GCV Institute provides professional development for CV team functions as well as foundational CV common language and context for effective parent and external stakeholder engagement. Designed ‘by CVCs, for CVCs’, the Institute brings together the premier global CV community and GCV’s finger on the pulse of the industry with Bell Mason Group’s (BMG) deep CV industry research and best practice trends analysis. Leaders from high-performing CV groups share their expertise and insights in videos, panels, case studies and as course mentors.

The GCV Institute curriculum offers:

  • Dual tracks for Investment (CVC) and Corporate Venture Business Development (CVBD) / Portfolio Development Teams.

  • CV industry common language and context for Parent stakeholders who support and partner with CV teams.

  • Continuing education on legal, HR, marketing, and program management.

  • Powerful communities of practice: of alumni, mentors, CV experts.

  • Engaging mix of learning modalities delivered via state-of-the-art Learning Management System (LMS)— Live Online, self-paced and face-to-face (pandemic permitting!) formats.