Scouting for Growth
Sabine VanderLinden
There are over 180,000 FinTech ventures out there today.
My team tracks 7.3 million of them across markets every single week.
But the number that matters isn't the one that's growing. It's the one that isn't.
Only 25% of these ventures have secured funding and meaningful backing.
The other 75% aren't just looking for capital. They're looking for access, credibility, and partnerships with the institutions that can turn a great product into real-world impact.
This is Scouting for Growth. I'm Sabine VanderLinden. I lead Alchemy Crew Ventures, and I built the Venture-Client Model for regulated industries... the model where a growth venture earns a corporation as its customer before a VC writes the cheque. When that sequence works, it changes the equation for everyone: founders, corporates, and the investors watching from both sides of the table.
Each episode, I bring a founder, an operator, or an institutional leader to the table for the conversation that usually happens behind closed doors: about how corporates really think, how capital really flows, and what it actually takes to build, grow, and scale in a world where the boundaries between FinTech, InsurTech, HealthTech, and AI are dissolving by the month.
This isn't theory. Our conversations should bring you the strategy, the tactics, and the hard-won clarity from people who control capital and collaboration.
If you're navigating this ecosystem — as a founder, an operator, or a leader — this conversation is for you.
Listen in. Challenge what you thought you knew. And join us.
My team tracks 7.3 million of them across markets every single week.
But the number that matters isn't the one that's growing. It's the one that isn't.
Only 25% of these ventures have secured funding and meaningful backing.
The other 75% aren't just looking for capital. They're looking for access, credibility, and partnerships with the institutions that can turn a great product into real-world impact.
This is Scouting for Growth. I'm Sabine VanderLinden. I lead Alchemy Crew Ventures, and I built the Venture-Client Model for regulated industries... the model where a growth venture earns a corporation as its customer before a VC writes the cheque. When that sequence works, it changes the equation for everyone: founders, corporates, and the investors watching from both sides of the table.
Each episode, I bring a founder, an operator, or an institutional leader to the table for the conversation that usually happens behind closed doors: about how corporates really think, how capital really flows, and what it actually takes to build, grow, and scale in a world where the boundaries between FinTech, InsurTech, HealthTech, and AI are dissolving by the month.
This isn't theory. Our conversations should bring you the strategy, the tactics, and the hard-won clarity from people who control capital and collaboration.
If you're navigating this ecosystem — as a founder, an operator, or a leader — this conversation is for you.
Listen in. Challenge what you thought you knew. And join us.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 21, 2021 • 7min
An Introduction to Scouting for Growth – with Sabine VdL
Hi, I am Sabine VanderLinden – Many of my friends call me Mrs VdL.
I have been in business for over 25 years. I worked for highly respected, well-known blue-chip companies. And 6 years ago, I decided to take the entrepreneurial and investor route and ran a very well-known acceleration program for early-stage startups in Europe and the United States, while also engaging with investors and corporations in Asia, Africa, and LATAM.
Yes. I know. Five continents in 5 years. 70 startups accelerated during that period. Lots of Airmiles. $100 million invested in accelerated portfolios. And certainly, lots of learning.
Since then, my team and I have scouted over 20,000 ventures to help both corporates and investors identify new sources of growth.
I want to dedicate this podcast to the founders, entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, investors, corporate fighters, and change-makers who, over the years, have given me their time, patience, and trust.
We will, together, demystify the world of corporate venturing.
ABOUT THE HOST
Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.
If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights.
And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at hello@alchemycrew.ventures
