Join us in this episode with Salman Azhar as he unpacks how money really moves in the age of AI, from seed bets to the quiet mid-stage crunch. Discover what serious investors look for in AI startups, why problem-space matters more than buzzwords, and what corporate leaders can learn about capital allocation and incentives.

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AI innovation doesn’t happen on code alone; it runs on capital. In this episode, Lukas Egger talks with Salman Azhar about what really happens “where the money meets the models.” They walk through the lifecycle of an AI company, from risky angel and seed checks to the Series A/B bottleneck and eventual exits. Salman explains why he prioritizes high-value problem spaces and defensible IP over flashy founders and AI-heavy pitches. Hear how AI is transforming venture work at the top of the funnel, while still falling short on trustworthy probabilities. The conversation zooms out to a liquidity crunch, IPOs “queued like planes after a storm,” and too much money chasing a few household AI names while real applications go underfunded.

For corporate innovators, Salman’s takeaway is clear: align incentives with upside, kill weak ideas early, and treat internal ventures more like startups where compensation and consequences track real value creation.

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Guest: Salman Azhar, Azimuth Opportunity Fund & Duke University

Dr. Salman Azhar has unique access in the venture world after investing in 250+ startups over 20+ years and generating a positive return with his first 12 exits. He specializes in buying pre-IPO unicorns’ shares from early investors.

Dr. Azhar is a General Partner of Azimuth Opportunity Fund and Executive in Residence at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. He is a Charter Life Member of OPEN Global and an advisor to several funds, including Quartus, Moment, and Regiment. His former business partners and clients include Toyota, Sony, SAP, and others.

Dr. Azhar earned his MS and PhD in Computer Science from Duke as a James B. Duke Fellow and a BS in Math and Physics from Wake Forest University as a Carswell Scholar.

If you want to learn more about:

• Our guest Salman Azhar: LinkedIn
• SAP Signavio

Email us your questions or comments: processtransformers@sap.com

Innovation needs story. In this episode, Lukas Egger and Susan Lindner reveal why storytelling is a survival skill for innovators: turning failure into learning, imagination into possibility, and inertia into action. Explore the tension between “show me the data” and the human emotions that actually drive decisions. Learn to earn buy-in by naming shifts, pointing to winners, and co-creating a promised land your audience cares about. Packed with practical guidance for meetings, presentations, and pilots, this episode shows how to design change journeys that stick, and how AI can accelerate your narrative craft.

Guest: Susan Lindner

Susan Lindner is the Founder and CEO of Innovation Storytellers, a leading innovation storytelling consulting firm. She is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, workshop leader, messaging strategist, storytelling coach, and the world’s leading expert on innovation storytelling.

Susan draws from her initial experiences as an anthropologist and international aid worker in rural Thailand in the 1990s, where she shared stories that helped at-risk populations disproportionately affected by AIDS to slow the virus’ spread. Today, as a 20-year communications expert, she is committed to using those same storytelling skills to inspire innovation leaders everywhere to become incredible storytellers and ensure that their innovations get the resources, runway, and recognition they deserve.

Susan is the host of Innovation Storytellers, a weekly podcast that takes the mystery out of how to communicate breakthrough ideas to the people who matter most. Every week, Susan interviews top global innovation leaders from companies like Amazon, Bloomberg, Cisco, Corning, and Tesla about the stories that moved their innovations past the boardroom, lab, and production line and into our everyday lives.

Susan speaks at global conferences, consulates, and trade organizations. She has worked with C-level leaders and teams from over 60 countries at Fortune 100 companies like GE, Corning, Citi, AT&T, Arm & Hammer on their innovation storytelling strategies. The result? Those innovation leaders become incredible storytellers who go on to change the world. Susan is driven to ensure every breakthrough idea reaches its finish line through powerful stories that connect to every listener and power that brilliant idea forward.

Host: Lukas N. P. Egger

Head of the Innovation Office & Strategic Projects team at SAP Signavio

Lukas leads a team of experts, steering innovation projects. His approach blends a strong technical understanding with a keen eye for product discovery and digital transformation. Lukas regularly contributes to discussions and panels, sharing his perspectives on AI, the digital zeitgeist, and philosophy. Lukas funded multiple startups, published a humorous philosophy book, and received silver screen quotation for special effects work for an animated movie.

If you want to learn more about:

• Our guest: LinkedIn | Innovation Storytellers
• SAP Signavio: www.signavio.com

If you have questions or comments, email: processtransformers@sap.com

Additional downloads:

• Download transcript as PDF file

Join Lukas Egger and Peter Temes as they reimagine work for the age of AI. Peter shares pilots of the Match platform that expand task diversity, promote self‑management, and use AI to match people to roles through micro‑credentials and human‑in‑the‑loop recommendations. Hear practical stories from warehouses to industrial plants, and learn how listening to workers, modular tasks, and career path planning boost retention, safety, and training outcomes. If you want actionable insight into adapting your workforce, this episode will inspire leaders to start with understanding people and to design flexible, humane systems for the future.

Guest: Peter Temes

Founder & President of the ILO Institute

Peter began his career as a full-time member of the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and went on to found Enterprise Interactive, a consulting and research firm.

Peter has led research initiatives for Goldman Sachs, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Disney, EY, Pfizer, GM’s autonomous vehicles group and many other companies in the technology, finance and consumer marketing sectors. Peter has also served as Dean and Campus Chief Executive for Northeastern University, President of the Antioch New England Graduate School and President of the Great Books Foundation.

He is the author and editor of several books, including Teaching Leadership, The Just War, and Against School Reform. Peter holds a Ph.D. and three master’s degrees from Columbia University.

Host: Lukas N. P. Egger

Head of the Innovation Office & Strategic Projects team at SAP Signavio

Lukas leads a team of experts, steering innovation projects. His approach blends a strong technical understanding with a keen eye for product discovery and digital transformation. Lukas regularly contributes to discussions and panels, sharing his perspectives on AI, the digital zeitgeist, and philosophy. Lukas funded multiple startups, published a humorous philosophy book, and received silver screen quotation for special effects work for an animated movie.

If you want to learn more about:

• Our guest: LinkedIn | ILO Institute
• SAP Signavio: www.signavio.com

If you have questions or comments, email: processtransformers@sap.com

Additional downloads:

• Download transcript as PDF file