British American Tobacco : BTV’s Lisa ranked in top 100 corporate venturing ‘powerlist’

BTV's Lisa ranked in top 100 corporate venturing 'powerlist'

16 August 2021

BAT's corporate venture arm, Btomorrow Ventures (BTV) and its Managing Director Lisa Smith have been named in a prestigious ranking.

Lisa appears in the top 100 Global Corporate Venturing (GCV) Powerlist 2021 , which celebrates 'the top 100 corporate venturing leaders shaping the future of the industry.' This a fantastic result for an investment fund that only made its first investment a year ago.

GCV compiles its annual 'powerlist' from more than 2,000 global corporations investing either directly or indirectly in start-ups. BTV's ranking places it in the top 5% of corporate venture funds worldwide and ahead of industry competitors.

Lisa said: 'It is fabulous to be recognised in the top five per cent of corporate venture funds across the globe, especially when BTV made its first investment only one year ago. It truly has been a team effort with many brave people working collaboratively across the globe. Thank you to our global partners and experimenters, this award is also for you!'

Some of the strategic and leadership measures GCV look out for include:

• Strategic collaborations with portfolio or venture-backed companies;
• Business unit partnerships and development with portfolio companies;
• Product or strategy road maps and public leadership positions in conferences, associations and societies;
• Team members included in Global Venture Summit's Rising Stars & Emerging Leaders and other industry awards;

BTV enables BAT to invest in its future by gaining early access to cutting-edge technology, unlocking innovation through R&D collaborations and enabling 'test and learn' in new product categories.

In less than a year, the BTV team has completed more than 13 investments across the globe. BTV has also completed its first 'exit' - selling its shares in a company that it invested into last year, making a profit.

Investments in the wellbeing and stimulation space include functional food and beverage start-ups using a range of different actives (such as caffeine and CBD) as well as investments in microfiltration technology, global freight transportation and neurostimulation headsets.

All of this exceptional work took place during a time of significant disruption caused by COVID-19, meaning all of BTV's investments were conducted virtually.

If you want to learn more about Btomorrow Ventures, visit their website , or follow them on LinkedIn or Instagram .