Different Types of Venture Studios

What are the types of Venture Studios?

 Now that we know what a Venture Studio is, let is have a look at the different types of venture studios.

There are several types of venture studios, including:

• Corporate venture studios

• Independent venture studios

• Hybrid venture studios

• Angel-backed venture studios

• Niche Venture Studio

• Industry Agnostic Studio

• Incubator-Accelerator

Let’ now look at each of these different types of Venture Studios in detail.

Corporate Venture Studios

Corporate Venture Studios are typically created by large companies to invest in and incubate startups that are in line with their business objectives.

In other words, a corporate venture studio is a venture capital (VC) arm of a large corporation that is responsible for identifying, investing in and incubating startups that align with the strategic goals of the parent company. Corporate venture studios typically have a dedicated team and budget for identifying and investing in startups that are working on technologies or business models that align with the parent company's strategic goals. The team can help these startups by providing them with funding, resources, and access to the parent company's network of customers, partners, and suppliers. The goal of a corporate venture studio is to help the parent company stay ahead of industry trends and gain access to new technologies and business models that can help drive growth and innovation. Corporate venture studios can also help the parent company to identify and invest in startups that may eventually become acquisition targets.

Some examples of corporate venture studios include:

• ‍Alphabet's GV (formerly Google Ventures): GV is the venture capital arm of Alphabet, the parent company of Google. GV invests in startups across a wide range of industries, with a focus on technology, healthcare, and life sciences. 

• ‍Intel Capital: Intel Capital is the venture capital arm of Intel Corporation. It invests in startups working on technologies related to artificial intelligence, 5G, IoT, and more.

• GE Ventures: GE Ventures is the venture capital arm of General Electric, focusing on  startups working on technologies related to energy, healthcare, transportation, and more. 

• Cisco Investments: Cisco Investments is the venture capital arm of Cisco Systems. It invests in startups working on technologies related to network security, IoT, AI, and more.

• BMW i Ventures: BMW i Ventures is the venture capital arm of BMW and it invests in startups working on technologies related to electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and more.

Independent Venture Studios

Independent venture studios are standalone firms that focus on incubating and investing in startups across a wide range of industries. They are not affiliated with any large corporations or specific industries, and operate independently to incubate and invest in startups.

Independent venture studios generally have a team of experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts who work together to identify and incubate promising startups. They provide startups with resources and mentorship to help them grow and develop their businesses, and also provide funding through a venture capital fund.

The goal of an independent venture studio is to help startups build and scale successful companies, while also generating returns for the venture studio's investors. Some examples of independent venture studios include:

• ‍Expa: Expa is a venture studio that focuses on creating and scaling startups in a variety of industries, including transportation, real estate, and financial services.

• ‍Betaworks:  technology and media industries.

• Science: technology and consumer goods industries. 

• ‍Human Ventures:  healthcare and wellness industries.

• ‍Obvious Ventures: startups that have a positive impact on society and the environment.

 Hybrid Venture Studios

These are firms that combine elements of both corporate and independent venture studios. They may have partnerships with large companies or organizations, but operate independently to incubate and invest in startups.

A hybrid venture studio is a firm that combines elements of both corporate and independent venture studios. They may have partnerships with large companies or organizations, but operate independently to incubate and invest in startups.

Hybrid venture studios typically have a team of experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts who work together to identify and incubate promising startups. They provide startups with resources and mentorship to help them grow and develop their businesses, and also provide funding through a venture capital fund.

A hybrid venture studio may also have a strategic partnership with a large corporation or organization, which allows them to leverage the resources and networks of the parent company to help incubated startups. This can include access to customers, partners, and suppliers, as well as access to proprietary technologies and intellectual property.

In some cases, a hybrid venture studio might also have a small fund and operate similar to traditional venture studio but with a focus on early-stage companies, and also may have an accelerator program.

Examples of Hybrid Venture Studios are:

• ‍Amplify Partners, Founders Fund, Innovation Endeavors

‍Angel-backed Venture Studios

This is a type of venture studio that operates with the support of angel investors.

Angel investors are high net worth individuals who provide capital to early-stage companies in exchange for equity ownership. An angel-backed venture studio typically operates with a smaller fund compared to traditional venture studios, and has a focus on investing and incubating early-stage companies.

The angel-backed venture studio typically provides startups with resources and mentorship to help them grow and develop their businesses, and also provides funding through a venture capital fund. The goal of an angel-backed venture studio is to help startups build and scale successful companies, while also generating returns for the venture studio's investors.

Angel-backed venture studios often have a team of experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts who work together to identify and incubate promising startups. They leverage the resources and networks of the angel investors to help incubated startups, which can include access to customers, partners, and suppliers, as well as access to proprietary technologies and intellectual property.

It's worth noting that the line between angel-backed venture studios and traditional venture studios can be quite blurry, as many venture studios have a mix of angel investors and institutional investors in their fund.

Niche Venture Studio

A niche venture studio is a type of venture studio that focuses on a specific industry, technology or market. These studios are typically created by experienced entrepreneurs or industry experts who have specific knowledge and expertise in a certain niche. They focus on identifying and developing startups that align with their niche, and providing them with the resources, mentorship, and funding they need to grow and succeed.

A niche venture studio would have a particular focus, such as a specific technology, industry or geography, and would typically have a team of experts with deep knowledge and experience in that area. The studio would use that knowledge to identify and develop startups that are well-positioned to succeed in the niche, and to provide them with the resources they need to grow and scale. The niche venture studio may also have an extensive network of investors, partners, and other resources that are specific to the niche, which can be leveraged to help startups succeed.

Industry Agnostic Studio

An industry agnostic venture studio is a type of venture studio that does not focus on a specific industry or technology. Instead, it looks for opportunities across a wide range of industries and sectors, with the goal of identifying and developing startups that have the potential to generate significant growth and value.

The studio is typically run by experienced entrepreneurs or investors who have a broad range of knowledge and experience across different industries. They use their expertise to identify startups that have a strong business model and a scalable idea, regardless of the industry or technology they operate in. They then provide the startups with the resources, mentorship, and funding they need to grow and succeed.

An industry agnostic venture studio would typically have a more diverse portfolio of companies and startups compared to a niche venture studio, with investments in a variety of sectors, industries, and technologies. These studios also tend to be more flexible and adaptable in terms of their investment strategy and approach, as they are not limited by a specific industry or technology focus.

Incubator-Accelerator

These are firms that operate on a model that combines incubation and acceleration. They provide resources and mentorship to startups in the early stages of development; and then help them scale up rapidly by providing access to funding, partnerships and other resources.

Additional Reading: What is the difference between an Incubator-Accelerator and a Venture Studio?

Where does YE Stack fit in?

Though we have listed the different types of Venture Studios, they are not mutually exclusive. YE Stack Venture Studio can play the role of an Industry Agnostic Studio or an Independent Studio or as an Incubator-Accelerator.