In this episode, we talk with Volker Gläser, CEO of Dish Digital Solutions, about how a digital startup inside a 60-year-old wholesale giant turned into a platform that's now at the heart of Metro's business.

The Status of Corporate Venture Building – with Martin Sondenheimer
In this episode of Beyond Core, we explore the evolving world of corporate venture building with Martin Sondenheimer, former Global Head of Corporate Venture Building at Munich Re. With over two decades of experience in innovation, investing, and building ventures, Martin shares a candid and in-depth view of the current state of corporate venturing—and where it's headed next.

In this episode of BeyondCore, we explore how ecosystem thinking can help business leaders unlock new growth beyond their core business. Our guest, James Meyer, a key leader at SRAM and former founder of Quarq Powermeter, shares how SRAM built its AXS ecosystem to scale innovation and create new market opportunities.

This episode of our BeyonCore podcast, hosted by Matthias Walter and Natalie Lamborghini, features Peter Sandberg, an innovation strategist based in Stockholm, Sweden.

The discussion centers around co-innovation, ecosystems, and the shift from ego-driven innovation to collaborative innovation (eco-innovation).

In this episode of Platforms for Future, Diana Lesage discussed the role of Venture Studios in corporate innovation, differentiating them from accelerators and venture capital firms by their unique model of building companies from the ground up. She highlighted their growth in niches like FinTech and HealthTech, and the benefits of corporate venture building, where studios and large corporations collaborate to leverage each other's strengths. Diana emphasized the importance of clear expectations and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset within corporations to ensure successful partnerships with Venture Studios. Looking forward, she predicted an increase in specialized Venture Studios and more corporate collaborations. The episode concluded with Diana recommending her Global Venture Studio Database for exploring partnerships and suggesting further dialogue with Venture Studios to bolster corporate innovation strategies.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannalesage/
Newsletter: https://studiostack.substack.com/
Blog: https://medium.com/@roamy

In this episode of Platforms for Future, Lukas Lewandowski, Regional Director at Coursera, discussed B2B education platforms. He highlighted Coursera's growth, its response to COVID-19, and the role of online learning. The conversation also touched on AI's impact on education, emphasizing the importance of trust and staying adaptable. Lukas advised platform leaders to embrace technologies like generative AI. The episode provided insights into the evolving education landscape and the need for continuous learning and adaptation.

In this episode of "Platforms 4 Future," we dive into the world of IoT platforms, specifically focusing on industrial applications. Join us as we explore the challenges and possibilities of implementing these technologies in a conservative industry. Our guest shares their experiences and insights, discussing the importance of trust, reliability, and building a successful platform in the IoT ecosystem. Don't miss out on this informative and thought-provoking discussion. Tune in now!

Embedded finance is a growing trend that has gained traction over the past decade. It refers to the integration of financial services into non-financial platforms or businesses. Traditionally, individuals or businesses would have to go directly to financial service providers to access services such as banking, payments, insurance, and collections. However, with embedded finance, these services are offered within platforms that users already interact with on a regular basis.

One of the key advantages of embedded finance is its ability to simplify complex payment processes. As platforms grow in size and complexity, managing payments becomes more challenging. Embedded finance provides a unified solution for handling multiple parties, routing payments, and managing surcharges. This streamlines the payment process and reduces the burden on platform operators.

The first guest, Christoph Schnettler, co-founder of the platform DoKuMe. DoKuMe is a platform that provides solutions for associations in the sports industry. Christoph explains that the platform initially started as a way to solve the problems faced by the German Judo Federation. Over time, they expanded their offerings to include various modules such as training documentation, license management, membership management, and project management. Today, DoKuMe provides a platform-as-a-service solution that can be customized for different organizations.

The second guest, Cyrosch Kalateh, co-founder and CEO of GetPaid, a payment provider, shares his expertise in embedded finance. Cyrosch's journey in the fintech industry led him to realize the challenges faced by platforms when it comes to payments and finance. He highlights the complexity of multi-sided situations that platforms deal with, as they have business customers who, in turn, have their own customers. This complexity requires a tailored end-to-end payments solution, which is what GetPaid aims to provide.

Another point highlighted in the podcast is the convergence and extension of business models enabled by embedded finance. The speakers discuss a customer who started as a wholesaler and then transitioned into a marketplace model. They explain how embedded finance has allowed this customer to further extend their business model by embedding payments into their software service. This demonstrates how embedded finance can facilitate business model extensions and enable platforms to offer a wider range of services to their customers.

In conclusion, the podcast highlights the significance of having a strong financial model and scalability for platforms and marketplaces. It emphasizes the need to focus on solving relevant problems, iterate quickly, and get feedback. Additionally, it underscores the importance of correctly scaling platforms and being conscious of unit economic costs. By considering these factors, platforms can maximize their potential for success and drive the embedded finance revolution.

🎧 Tune in to "Platforms for Future" now and be part of the conversation that's shaping the future of B2B platforms. Learn, get inspired, and transform your business approach with us!

Hey everyone! Exciting news! 📢 We have a new episode of the Plattforms for Future Podcast, and this time it's in German! 🇩🇪🎙️ 

This episode of the "Platforms for Future" podcast is about B2B pricing and monetization. This is one of the most crucial topics and every platform needs to crack it. Monetize one side, two sides, pricing differently, commission fee, subscription fee, and so on. There are a lot of options, but which one is the best choice?

Our guest, Jens Weghake from D.VELOP, a German B2B platform provider, shares his knowledge and experience on this topic. Jens joined the platform team some years ago  after he finished his Phd on Pricing models. His job was to understand and implement the right pricing for d.velop - and this journey brought him a lot of insights - not only from a financial point of view, but also legally. Together with our host Matthias Walter, they discuss the special requirements that exist especially in the B2B area and how to successfully meet them. 

If you're looking for practical tips, knowledge, and tools to help you on your platform-building journey, this podcast is for you! So, whether you're a platform enthusiast or just curious about the world of platforms, tune in to this episode of Platforms for Future Podcast. You won't be disappointed! Happy listening! 🎧😄

Step into the future with our latest episode featuring Martha Beckenfeld. We're exploring the fascinating world of the Web3 metaverse and its impact on platforms.

One area where the Metaverse is already having a significant impact is in the platform economy. Platforms such as Amazon and eBay have disrupted and transformed industries, and now there are about 21 categories of platforms. The question is, how will the platform economy move and transform into the Web3 world?

Here are three key takeaways from our conversation:

1. The metaverse is the new era of society. Martha shared her passion for Web3 AI and how it can revolutionize the way we interact with each other and the world around us. As platforms continue to evolve, it's important to keep up with the latest trends and technologies to stay ahead of the curve.
2. Purpose and values are crucial for platform ventures. As entrepreneurs, we need to think beyond just profit and consider the impact our platforms have on society. We should focus on creating a purpose-driven brand that aligns with our core values and represents the larger purpose of our company.
3. Ecosystem thinking is key to success. Martha and our team at Fastbreak.one emphasized the importance of taking a step-by-step approach when exploring new ideas and opportunities. This includes educating ourselves and our teams, thinking about the larger ecosystem, exploring use cases, and shaping them to fit our purpose and values.

Overall, this episode was a great reminder of the importance of staying curious, being purpose-driven, and thinking beyond just our own platforms. We hope you enjoy listening and take away some valuable insights for your own platform ventures.

As always, thank you for tuning in to Platforms for Future. Stay tuned for more exciting episodes to come!