Corporate Venture Capital: Resilience & Agility in the AI Era

On March 19 in New York, Elpis Labs hosted an event focused on corporate venture capital and AI, bringing together investors and corporate innovation leaders to discuss how corporations are working with startups and approaching AI-driven investments.

Panel: AI & Corporate Resilience

The panel featured Ashlyn Lackey (Prudential Financial), Luba Safran (Mondelēz International), Ryan Piela (Collinear Capital, ex–Estée Lauder CVC), and Sallie Jian (Alumni Ventures, ex–SAP CVC), and was moderated by Anastasia Lykova Allan (Elpis Labs).

The discussion focused on how corporate venture teams make decisions around AI:

• how corporations decide where to invest in AI

• what differentiates long-term solutions from short-term trends

• how CVC portfolios are adapting as technologies evolve

• how corporations structure partnerships with startups

The session gave a clearer view of how AI is being integrated into corporate venture strategies in practice.

Elpis Labs: Connecting Corporations and Startups

For Elpis Labs, events like this are part of a broader focus on connecting corporate venture teams with startups and emerging ecosystems. Beyond hosting discussions, Elpis works with corporations, investors, and international partners to:

• facilitate connections between startups and enterprise partners

• support market entry and expansion into the U.S.

• structure programs that lead to pilot projects and long-term collaboration

These conversations are not standalone — they are part of ongoing work around building relationships between startups and corporate partners.

Building Ongoing Dialogue

The event also created space for networking between CVC teams, investors, and founders.

This format allows participants to move beyond panel discussions and continue conversations directly — which is often where partnerships begin.

Elpis Labs continues to organize similar sessions as part of its event series, bringing together different parts of the startup and corporate ecosystem in New York.

Thank you to Larion, Civic Hall, and everyone who joined the session.