(Excerpted from Forbes)
12/13/2012 @ 9:46AM
Can venture capital fund-of-funds boost innovation and regional growth? Several companies in the Midwest are experimenting, including most recently Proctor and Gamble. This consumer behemoth with over $80 billion in annual revenues, spends over $2 billion each year on its research and development. An army of over a thousand PhDs are scattered in 27 labs, trying to find better ways to whiten your teeth or add that much-needed gloss to your hair. The company spends as much as $500 million a year on consumer research alone.
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Modeled after Michigan’s four-year old Renaissance Venture Capital Fund of funds, which has invested in ten venture funds across the country, Cintrifuse plans to invest in venture funds that demonstrate a relevant fit to its ecosystem. Christopher Rizik, CEO of Renaissance Venture Capital Fund, says while it may seem challenging, such models can create financial returns while making the regional ecosystem even better.