Corporates Are Back: How VCs and CVCs Are Co-Investing in the AI Era

AI is changing how startups are built, how investors evaluate opportunities, and how corporations participate in the next wave of innovation. For founders, securing capital is only part of the equation. Access to customers, technical expertise, manufacturing partners, and global distribution can be just as consequential. How do traditional venture capital firms and corporate venture capital investors work together to help promising companies grow?

Join moderator Anya Cheng of Taelor and investors Brian Bell of Team Ignite Ventures, Chi-Chao Chang of Fusion Fund, Ben Narasin of Tenacity Venture Capital, and Kayvan Baroumand of SignalRank for a candid conversation about investing in the AI era. Bringing perspectives from across the investment ecosystem, the panel will explore emerging opportunities, shifting investment priorities, and what financial and strategic investors look for in startup teams.

The discussion will examine how VCs and CVCs approach investment decisions, where their interests align, and how their different objectives can shape a startup’s trajectory. What makes a company attractive to both? When can corporate participation accelerate product development and market access? How should founders evaluate the opportunities and tradeoffs that come with a strategic investor? Attendees will gain practical perspectives on building relationships that connect capital with commercial opportunity.

The conversation will also explore Taiwan’s role as AI moves into robotics, intelligent hardware, industrial automation, and other real world applications. Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, and global supply chains offer opportunities for Silicon Valley investors and corporate partners seeking to turn emerging technologies into scalable businesses. Panelists will discuss how engagement with Taiwan’s innovation ecosystem can support investment, product development, strategic partnerships, and international expansion.

Designed for founders, venture investors, corporate innovation leaders, and technology partners, this panel offers an opportunity to better understand how financial capital and corporate resources can work together, and where collaboration between Silicon Valley and Taiwan can create lasting value.

Moderator

• Anya Cheng, Taelor

Panelists

• Brian Bell, Team Ignite Ventures

• Chi-Chao Chang, Fusion Fund

• Ben Narasin, Tenacity Venture Capital

• Kayvan Baroumand, SignalRank

Part of the Official TechCrunch Side Event, Real World AI: Connect, Invest & Scale in Taiwan

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