This executive course on Venture Clienting enables managers to systematically harness startup technologies to strengthen products and processes — resulting in measurable competitive advantage.
A Course by: Venture Client Academy of VentureClient.org Academic Director: Gregor Gimmy
Startups drive technological breakthroughs. Yet many companies struggle to translate startup innovation into measurable competitive advantage. Traditional approaches-accelerators or minority, non-controlling corporate venture capital investments-are costly, slow, and structurally misaligned with the goal of technology adoption. The result: activity without impact.
Venture Clienting offers a fundamentally different approach. Pioneered at BMW in 2014, it has evolved into a globally adopted business function that enables companies to systematically adopt startup technologies to solve relevant problems and strengthen competitiveness.
Across three integrated modules, the course takes you from the strategic foundations ("Why startups?") to designing Venture Clienting as a scalable, repeatable organizational capability-focused on delivering tangible business impact.
The course has been designed and is taught by practitioners with many years of hands-on experience in setting up and running Venture Client Units at leading corporations such as Airbus, BMW, and Bosch. Academic Director of the program is Gregor Gimmy, founder of the Venture Client Model and architect of the first Venture Client Unit.
This curriculum is strictly aligned with the official Foundations of Venture Clienting, ensuring participants master the definition, principles, and standards of the global discipline.
All faculty members are accredited by VentureClient.org to guarantee the highest level of expertise and practical applicability.
The course curriculum consists of four integrated modules that combine strategy, theory, and hands-on implementation to establish Venture Clienting as a high-impact corporate venturing function.
This module clarifies what distinguishes real startups from other innovative firms and why they represent a unique external resource for established companies. Participants understand how startup technologies can strengthen products, processes, and market positioning to enhance competitiveness.
This module introduces Corporate Venturing as a structured approach to systematically benefit from startups. Participants learn why ad-hoc engagement rarely delivers results, understand the main corporate venturing models, and gain clarity on how to select the right approach based on the strategic value they seek.
This module establishes the theoretical foundations of Venture Clienting as a dedicated corporate venturing function. Participants learn its definition, core principles, and standards, and understand the best-practice Venture Client framework that enables systematic and effective startup adoption.
This module translates Venture Clienting from theory into structured execution within the participant's organization. Participants design their Venture Client strategy, define the setup of a Venture Client Unit, and work through the end-to-end adoption process to create measurable impact across products and processes through startup technologies.
Strategy Executives, Innovation Managers, and Corporate Venturing Leads looking to implement or optimize a Venture Clienting function in their companies.
Yes, participants receive an official Certificate of Completion from VentureClient.org.
No prior experience is required, though a basic understanding of corporate strategy, corporate venturing and innovation management is helpful.
Scale your Venture Client operations by mastering advanced governance, tracking high-impact KPIs, and optimizing the end-to-end startup adoption process.
View course → Academy CourseEquip your team with the practical tools needed to run a highly effective Venture Client Unit, from sourcing top startups to executing successful pilot projects.
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