PoC Lead Generation: How to Find the Right Problems for Venture Clienting
SCALE - High-volume, high-impact, highly efficient
GROW - Expanding reach and building momentum
Start, Grow, and Scale
Glossary: Speak like a pro
The Basic Setup: Team, Budget, Leadership Support
Is Venture Clienting for you? (Simple checklist)
The golden rules of Venture Clienting
Key differences: Venture Building vs CVC vs Venture Clienting
Why do Venture Clienting?
A (very short) History of Venture Clienting
What is Venture Clienting? (and why it’s not Corporate VC)
Venture Clienting in Practice: Final Thoughts and Next Steps
How to Build a Venture Clienting Unit: the 100-Day Roadmap
The Future of Venture Clienting: Trends, Integration, and Strategic Impact
Lessons from PoC Managers Delivering 20+ PoCs Annually
Startup Relationship Management in Venture Clienting
Stakeholder Management in Venture Clienting: Build Trust, Speed Decisions, Drive Adoption
Business Case Calculation for Venture Clienting PoCs
PoC Leads: Clear Criteria for Stopping Low-Quality Opportunities
C-Level Support for Venture Clienting: How to Get Executive Buy-In
PoCs Run by GlassDollar: Faster Pilots Without Procurement Friction
Bridging Innovation and IT: Implementing Startup Solutions
PoC Portfolio Management: How to Maximize Venture Client Impact
From PoC to Implementation: How to Scale Startup Solutions
PoC Execution Best Practices for Corporate–Startup Collaboration
Why the PoC Kickoff Sets the Tone for Venture Clienting Success
PoC Procurement Best Practices for Venture Clienting Teams
How to Scope a PoC: Lean Validation for Venture Clienting
Venture Clienting Decision Meetings: From Demos to PoC Selection
How to Run Effective Startup Demos for PoC Decisions
How to Run Effective Startup Briefings in Venture Clienting
How to Present Startup Sourcing Results to Select PoC Candidates
Startup Sourcing for Venture Clienting PoCs: Landscapes, Benchmarks & Shortlists
Venture Clienting (PoC) Needs Assessment Framework
START - Getting off the ground
About Startup Partnering: Corporate Venturing Toolbox3
About Startup Partnering: Corporate Venturing Toolbox2
About Startup Partnering: Corporate Venturing Toolbox
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Thought Leadership
Publications
Impact of Venture Clienting

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Peter Borchers
Expert Opinion
5 min read
Written by
Peter Borchers
Affiliate Professor at ESCP Founder at pbo.vc
Published on
December 19, 2025
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Collaborating With Corporations
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Peter Borchers

With deep expertise in digital matters, Peter Borchers advises CxOs and has assisted numerous firms in establishing, operating, and reviewing their Corporate Startup Programs. Peter founded and led „hub:raum“, the global startup incubator for Deutsche Telekom, and served as the CEO of Allianz X, where he built and led the global Corporate Venture Fund and Company Builder with a $500 million budget.

Affiliate Professor at ESCP Founder at pbo.vc

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Contents
Expert Opinion
5 min read

Collaborating With Corporations—A Startup‘s Point of View

The potential of Venture Clienting, on the one hand, is full of opportunity; it allows startups to receive direct feedback, resources, and support for their projects. On the other hand, it also contains risks, with potential for a startup to lose its way in bureaucracy or, worse, fail to meet expectations. This article shares perspectives as an startup’s experience in this way of operating and optimising for better outcomes.
Keep Reading
Executive Insight
5 min read

Venture Clienting in Practice: Final Thoughts and Next Steps

A practical closing note on what it really takes to make Venture Clienting work: the right mindset, consistent execution, and a focus on real business impact — followed by clear next steps to move from reading to doing.
Executive Insight
5 min read

How to Build a Venture Clienting Unit: the 100-Day Roadmap

This 100-day roadmap outlines how to launch a Venture Clienting unit quickly, build a qualified PoC pipeline, deliver early results, and create the credibility needed to secure long-term stakeholder and C-level support.
Executive Insight
5 min read

The Future of Venture Clienting: Trends, Integration, and Strategic Impact

Venture Clienting is moving beyond standalone innovation units. This article explores how the model will evolve — becoming more embedded in core business functions, more data-driven, better integrated with IT, and more tightly aligned with C-level priorities.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Lessons from PoC Managers Delivering 20+ PoCs Annually

They don’t work harder, they work with systems. This article distills how PoC Managers deliver 20+ PoCs per year: fast prioritization, constant lead flow, lean processes, and tight time management.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Startup Relationship Management in Venture Clienting

Startups aren’t just vendors—they’re partners. This article shows how to manage the relationship with clear expectations, regular communication, and fast feedback to improve PoC outcomes and increase implementation rates.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Stakeholder Management in Venture Clienting: Build Trust, Speed Decisions, Drive Adoption

Venture Clienting succeeds or stalls with its stakeholders. This article shows how to identify the right players, build trust early, communicate with impact, and manage expectations transparently—so decisions move faster, friction drops, and stakeholders become long-term supporters of your work.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Business Case Calculation for Venture Clienting PoCs

A business case turns PoCs into clear decisions. It shows whether an experiment is worth funding, scaling, or stopping. This article covers when to start the calculation, how to keep it simple, and how to update it as real data replaces estimates.
5 min read

PoC Leads: Clear Criteria for Stopping Low-Quality Opportunities

Not every PoC lead is worth pursuing. Here are clear criteria to decide when to stop and refocus on higher-impact opportunities.
Executive Insight
5 min read

C-Level Support for Venture Clienting: How to Get Executive Buy-In

Executives back Venture Clienting when they see measurable impact and a link to top priorities. This guide shows the arguments, proof points, and assets to bring them along.
Executive Insight
5 min read

PoCs Run by GlassDollar: Faster Pilots Without Procurement Friction

Want to run a PoC without procurement delays or internal friction? In this setup, GlassDollar contracts and manages the startup directly—so corporates get fast results, lower risk, and a clear proof of value without the usual bureaucracy.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Bridging Innovation and IT: Implementing Startup Solutions

IT implementation is where most “successful PoCs” die. This piece shows how to bring IT in early, pre-vet startups (security, integrations, vendor risk), and remove the usual blockers so pilots actually reach production.
Executive Insight
5 min read

PoC Portfolio Management: How to Maximize Venture Client Impact

Running many PoCs? Treat them like a portfolio. Learn how to balance quick wins and strategic bets, avoid bottlenecks, and maximize overall business impact.
Executive Insight
5 min read

From PoC to Implementation: How to Scale Startup Solutions

A PoC proves potential. Implementation creates value. Here’s how to scale without getting stuck in IT, process, or procurement bottlenecks.
Executive Insight
5 min read

PoC Execution Best Practices for Corporate–Startup Collaboration

This is where Venture Clienting proves its value. During PoC execution, success depends less on technology and more on focus, discipline, and fast problem-solving. Learn how to keep PoCs on track, protect scope, and turn pilots into real implementation decisions.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Why the PoC Kickoff Sets the Tone for Venture Clienting Success

A PoC doesn’t fail in week six — it usually fails in week one. Learn how to run a PoC kickoff that aligns startup and corporate teams from day one, sets clear expectations, and creates the momentum needed for a successful implementation.
Executive Insight
5 min read

PoC Procurement Best Practices for Venture Clienting Teams

Procurement shouldn’t slow down your PoC. Learn how to work with procurement the right way — clarifying roles, packaging the offer, and negotiating smartly — so your PoC gets approved fast and without friction.
Executive Insight
5 min read

How to Scope a PoC: Lean Validation for Venture Clienting

A PoC doesn’t fail because the startup is bad — it fails because the scope is too complex. Learn how to define a lean PoC scope that validates real value, avoids unnecessary blockers, and builds a solid business case for scaling.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Venture Clienting Decision Meetings: From Demos to PoC Selection

PoCs fail more often because no decision is made than because the wrong startup was chosen. Learn how to run decision meetings that create clarity, commitment, and momentum — and actually move PoCs forward.
Executive Insight
5 min read

How to Run Effective Startup Demos for PoC Decisions

Startup demos are not sales pitches: They’re decision moments. Learn how to structure, moderate, and protect demos so stakeholders can clearly decide whether a startup is PoC-ready—without wasting time or losing focus.
Executive Insight
5 min read

How to Run Effective Startup Briefings in Venture Clienting

Shortlisted a startup? Don’t let them blow it with a generic sales pitch. A strong startup briefing turns demos into problem-focused conversations—and dramatically increases your chances of a successful PoC.
Executive Insight
5 min read

How to Present Startup Sourcing Results to Select PoC Candidates

You’ve sourced the startups. Now the outcome depends on how you present them. This isn’t a “winner-pick” meeting—it’s a conversation to narrow down to 3 startups worth demoing. Here’s how to run it so stakeholders decide fast and confidently.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Startup Sourcing for Venture Clienting PoCs: Landscapes, Benchmarks & Shortlists

Sourcing is where Venture Clienting either works or dies: This article shows a simple sourcing process (DIY or with a team), plus when to use a Landscape vs. a Benchmark to go from “what’s out there?” to a shortlist you can actually run PoCs with.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Venture Clienting (PoC) Needs Assessment Framework

A PoC lead is just a rumor until you qualify it. This is the needs assessment playbook: 5 questions that quickly tell you if it’s urgent, funded, decision-ready—and actually worth your time.
Executive Insight
5 min read

PoC Lead Generation: How to Find the Right Problems for Venture Clienting

Before any PoC can succeed, you need a real internal problem to test against. This section shows how to uncover meaningful pain points inside your organization and turn them into high-quality PoC leads that startups can actually solve.
Executive Insight
5 min read

SCALE - High-volume, high-impact, highly efficient

At SCALE, Venture Clienting runs like a real business unit: high PoC volume, tight prioritization, and clear ROI. The focus shifts from “can this work?” to “what deserves our time?”—with strategy alignment, strong partnerships with IT/procurement, and ruthless protection of quality.
Executive Insight
5 min read

GROW - Expanding reach and building momentum

GROW is where Venture Clienting turns from “we proved it works” into a repeatable engine: you ramp PoC volume, align early with procurement/IT/legal, and build a steady lead pipeline. The focus is momentum and reach first — efficiency comes later in SCALE.
Executive Insight
5 min read

START - Getting off the ground

Run three fast PoCs in 6–12 months to secure one implementation win with measurable ROI. Use innovation managers’ internal credibility to access real problem owners and focus on quick, visible results. Avoid slow cold hunting and low-ROI PoCs.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Start, Grow, and Scale

Venture Clienting Units mature in predictable steps. The START–GROW–SCALE model helps you quickly spot your current stage, avoid the wrong priorities, and focus on what will move the unit forward fastest.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Glossary: Speak like a pro

No buzzwords, no confusion: a quick glossary that standardizes the terms you’ll see throughout Venture Clienting—from PoCs and PPOs to adoption and scouting—so everyone (you, stakeholders, startups) speaks the same language and decisions don’t get lost in terminology.
5 min read

The Basic Setup: Team, Budget, Leadership Support

You can start Venture Clienting with just one committed owner, a small starter budget, and the freedom to run a few PoCs fast. Leadership support isn’t mandatory at first—but when it’s there, everything moves faster.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Is Venture Clienting for you? (Simple checklist)

Not every company is built for Venture Clienting—yet. This checklist helps you quickly spot whether you have the essentials (real pain points, decision speed, budget, internal allies, and capacity) and where the biggest friction will come from before you start selling the idea internally.
Executive Insight
5 min read

The golden rules of Venture Clienting

Venture Clienting only looks simple on paper. These rules show what actually makes it work inside a corporate: start with trusted allies and easy wins, pull IT in early, stay problem-first, and build momentum before you get selective—so you scale impact without drowning in chaos.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Key differences: Venture Building vs CVC vs Venture Clienting

Venture Building, CVC, and Venture Clienting solve different problems in very different ways. This section cuts through the confusion and shows when to build, when to invest, and when to buy ready-made solutions for fast impact.
Executive Insight
5 min read

Why do Venture Clienting?

Venture Clienting offers a faster, more pragmatic way to turn problems into tested solutions. Instead of building from scratch or waiting on long innovation cycles, companies can tap into startup products that already work, learn quickly, and focus only on what creates real business value.
Executive Insight
5 min read

A (very short) History of Venture Clienting

Venture Clienting didn’t start from scratch — it gave structure to something companies were already doing. From its origins at BMW to its spread across Europe and beyond, it evolved into a repeatable model for working with startups to solve real business problems.
Executive Insight
5 min read

What is Venture Clienting? (and why it’s not Corporate VC)

Most companies want startup innovation—but end up stuck between slow internal builds and risky investments. There’s a third path that focuses on solving real business problems with solutions that already exist. It’s faster, more pragmatic, and designed for execution, not hype.
Expert Opinion
5 min read

temp article

Expert Opinion
5 min read

About Startup Partnering: Corporate Venturing Toolbox3

Corporations can benefit from collaborating with startups for a number of reasons. First and foremost, radical and complex innovations are developed through collaborations with external partners.
Expert Opinion
5 min read

About Startup Partnering: Corporate Venturing Toolbox2

Corporations can benefit from collaborating with startups for a number of reasons. First and foremost, radical and complex innovations are developed through collaborations with external partners.
Expert Opinion
5 min read

About Startup Partnering: Corporate Venturing Toolbox

Corporations can benefit from collaborating with startups for a number of reasons. First and foremost, radical and complex innovations are developed through collaborations with external partners.
Guide
91
Pages

Everything you need to know about Venture Clienting

Table of Conetent
Explore the content
Expert Opinion
5 min read
1
nd Chapter

Welcome to Venture Clienting

Learn what Venture Clienting is (and what it isn’t), where the model came from, and why it’s become a fast path to measurable business impact. It also clarifies the differences to CVC and Venture Building, shows how the three can work together, and closes with practical “golden rules” to start with the right problems, win early PoCs, and build the trust you’ll need to scale.

Keep Reading
Expert Opinion
5 min read
2
nd Chapter

Getting Started

A quick on-ramp into Venture Clienting: a checklist to see if your organization is actually ready, the minimum setup you need (one owner, a starter budget, and light leadership backing), plus a plain-English glossary so everyone—from business units to procurement—uses the same terms and avoids confusion from day one.

Keep Reading
Expert Opinion
5 min read
3
nd Chapter

The 3 Phases of Venture Clienting Units

A practical maturity map for how Venture Clienting Units evolve over time — from START (prove the model with a few high-impact PoCs), to GROW (make it repeatable and expand reach), to SCALE (run high volume with strong selectivity, efficiency, and strategic alignment). It clarifies what to prioritize in each phase: budgets, timelines, lead volume, stakeholder setup (procurement/IT/legal), and the specific habits that drive momentum without burning quality.

Keep Reading
Expert Opinion
5 min read
4
nd Chapter

The Venture Clienting Process

A practical, end-to-end guide to running Venture Clienting in real life — from uncovering internal pain points and qualifying PoC leads to sourcing startups, running focused demos, executing lean PoCs, and turning successful pilots into real implementations with measurable business impact.

Keep Reading
Expert Opinion
5 min read
5
nd Chapter

Advanced Topics

This chapter covers advanced Venture Clienting topics you’ll face once the basics work: managing PoCs as a portfolio, working effectively with IT, accelerating projects through alternative contracting models, and securing lasting C-level support. It shows how to reduce bottlenecks, allocate resources smarter, and turn Venture Clienting into a strategic, scalable capability.

Keep Reading