The S2G Podcast

In this episode, Sanjeev Krishnan, co-founder and managing partner of S2G Ventures, takes us through his career path from investing in telecom in emerging markets to building out a life sciences investment group at the IFC, the early days of energy environmental investing, his decision to hone in on food and agriculture, and finally to his journey with S2G. Sanjeev shares learnings critical for anyone investing or innovating in tough tech sectors, including his framework for using capital markets to transform industries, his approach to systems thinking, and his perspectives on the power of specialization and the importance of bringing value beyond capital. From his wealth of experiences to the Sanjeevisms that have permeated our vernacular, Sanjeev has been a spirited and thoughtful leader since day one at S2G, and we are excited to share this conversation with you.

Key Topics:

1. Specialization: Sanjeev underscores his belief in the importance of industry specialization. By deeply understanding the nuances of a specific sector, he believes investors and entrepreneurs can uncover unique opportunities for innovation and growth.
2. Innovative Business Models: Sanjeev shares examples from his past that illustrate how rethinking traditional ways of doing business can lead to profitable ventures that also contribute positively to people's lives and the planet.
3. Capital Markets: Sanjeev advocates for a capital market system tailored to the unique financial needs of sectors undergoing significant changes.
4. Consumer Demand: The rising influence of Millennials and Gen Z consumers, who prioritize sustainability and social impact, creates a growing demand for aligned products and services. Sanjeev discusses his perspective that aligning company values with those of conscious consumers can drive substantial market growth.
5. Systems Thinking: Sanjeev discusses how the interconnectedness of various sectors presents unique challenges and opportunities for innovation. Systems thinking, which focuses on the 'seams' between sectors, encourages a holistic view of industries, where understanding the broader ecosystem and leveraging partnerships can lead to groundbreaking solutions.

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G. Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Specific companies mentioned in this podcast are for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any kind. Please note that S2G may maintain investments in some of the companies discussed on this podcast. All views of the guests on this podcast are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of S2G. Any past performance discussed is not indicative of future results.
For more important information, please see s2gventures.com/disclosures.

In this episode, we’re digging into successful strategies for corporate innovation with Audre Kapacinskas, Principal of Corporate Development at S2G, and Ryan Smith, Chief Growth Officer and Executive Vice President at Ajinomoto Health and Nutrition, a multinational food and biotechnology company focused on seasonings. Audre shares five takeaways from over 600 conversations with corporates about driving effective innovation in the face of significant challenges to making the kind of rapid, large-scale progress needed to meet global sustainability commitments. Audre then speaks with Ryan about how Ajinomoto encourages innovation and utilizes the company’s distinct advantages as well as novel business models to position itself for growth. We hope that these conversations can support companies in driving growth while achieving their sustainability objectives and spark broader discussions around effective corporate strategies and how we better convene groups and share best practices.

Key Topics:

1. The Importance of People, Structure, and Culture: At a time when CEO turnover is spiking, Audre highlights the importance of having the right people in the right positions to shield teams working on long-term growth initiatives from disruptions. Ryan explains that at Ajinomoto, listening to employees and customers is a key part of the company’s search for innovation.
2. The Need for Clear, Strategic Direction: Audre speaks about how having clarity and consensus around strategic objectives can help leaders build trust within their organizations and encourage widespread buy-in.
3. Leveraging Distinct Advantages: According to Audre, many companies that innovate successfully do so by taking advantage of their entire organizational structure and expertise. She uses Koch Disruptive Technologies as an example of a company that is proactively sending new products out to its different business units to enable business development opportunities while identifying new technology use cases. Ryan shares that Ajinomoto’s ability to vet startups through its internal processes gives it a leg up in conversations with potential customers.
4. Integrating Innovation Initiatives with a Long-Term View: Audre recommends setting up a strategic roadmap and enabling the people within your organization to execute against it. According to Audre, “Once you have a plan and feel good about it, empower it and fund it.”
5. Embracing New Business Models: S2G’s Corporate Development team is seeing new business models bolster innovation engines within corporations, and that creative financing and risk management can make companies more willing to experiment. Ryan speaks to Ajinomoto’s effort to surprise their customers by exploring many different angles of food production beyond just ingredients.

Resources:
Adapt or Collapse: 5 Lessons for Scaling Sustainability to Drive Growth

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G. Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Specific companies mentioned in this podcast are for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any kind. Please note that S2G may maintain investments in some of the companies discussed on this podcast. All views of the guests on this podcast are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of S2G. Any past performance discussed is not indicative of future results.
For more important information, please see s2gventures.com/disclosures.

In this episode, Chuck Templeton sits down with Jason Wellcome and Mike Bruno, advisors at Play Bigger, to discuss the methodology behind category design. The discussion unpacks how companies can shift their thinking from making better products to forging entirely new market categories, drawing on illustrative examples like Qualtrics' evolution from survey tools to an experience management platform. Jason and Mike delve into the strategies that enable businesses to identify unique problems, achieve "Category King" status, and ultimately drive unprecedented growth and market leadership. This episode offers valuable perspectives for investors and entrepreneurs keen on leveraging category design to secure a competitive edge.

Key Topics:

1. Problem Identification: The Play Bigger team emphasizes the importance of pinpointing unique, high-impact problems that consumers often overlook. This critical step lays the foundation for creating a new market category, setting leaders apart from competitors focused merely on iterative improvements.
2. Creating a Category Blueprint: Establishing a new category necessitates a detailed blueprint that ensures both customers and competitors grasp the full scope and transformative potential of the new category, fostering wider market adoption.
3. The Advantages of Category Leadership: Leading a new market category offers substantial economic benefits, with "Category Kings" capturing up to 76% of the category's total value.
4. Inventing a Taxonomy: Effective category design involves crafting a distinct language and taxonomy. This effort not only differentiates the new category but also educates the market.
5. Iterative Validation and Organizational Alignment: The journey of category design is iterative, requiring ongoing validation and alignment within the organization. By engaging leadership and synchronizing efforts across all departments, companies can ensure cohesive execution and maximize their chances of achieving market success.

Resources:

Play Bigger

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G. Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Specific companies mentioned in this podcast are for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any kind. Please note that S2G may maintain investments in some of the companies discussed on this podcast. All views of the guests on this podcast are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of S2G. Any past performance discussed is not indicative of future results.
For more important information, please see s2gventures.com/disclosures.

If you’re looking for insights into developing a go-to-market strategy, this episode is for you. Chuck Templeton sits down with the team at Sentera, a company that uses remote data collection to empower growers and agribusinesses to make real-time decisions to help improve farm profitability. Sentera's CEO Brian Wenngatz and CTO Eric Taipale take us through their journey to launching Aerial WeedScout, which enables the rapid detection of weeds so farmers can reduce herbicide use and maximize equipment efficiency. To launch this product, the team had to understand how they could best use their expertise in aerial imagery and computer vision to improve farm outcomes. Chuck also talked with S2G’s Cristina Rohr about her perspective on the market opportunity for Sentera’s technology. From offering a clear and differentiated value proposition to designing an innovative business model to get the product to farmers at the right price point, there are so many aspects of this conversation that are relevant to entrepreneurs in the world of agtech and beyond.
Key Topics:

1. Understanding Core Differentiators: Brian and Eric highlight the importance of understanding the company’s “unfair advantages” to ensure they continue to stand out from the competition and provide the best possible product to farmers.
2. Offering a Clear Value Proposition: The team shares what they’ve learned about not only developing a product that addresses both economic and environmental challenges in modern farming but also about how to message those benefits to customers.
3. Finding the Right Sales Channel: Sentera determined that working with ag retailers and trusted advisors would generate more traction than going directly to farmers. Strategic partnerships with leading seed, chemical, and equipment companies have been pivotal for Sentera's market penetration and scalability.
4. Business Model Innovation: Sentera’s technology offers the opportunity for a no-upfront-cost approach, which addresses financial constraints and risk aversion among farmers, enabling easier adoption of advanced technologies.
5. Taking a Systems-Based Approach: Understanding the role their technology can play not only on farms but in the broader stakeholder ecosystem has helped Sentera build partnerships and bring together stakeholders to improve opportunities for scale.

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G. Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Specific companies mentioned in this podcast are for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any kind. Please note that S2G may maintain investments in some of the companies discussed on this podcast. All views of the guests on this podcast are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of S2G. Any past performance discussed is not indicative of future results.
For more important information, please see s2gventures.com/disclosures.