Samsung Catalyst Fund was thrilled to participate in this year’s GSA Entrepreneurial Conference. The virtual event introduced private companies to an international audience of decision makers from the global semiconductor ecosystem and financial community.

Dede Goldschmidt, managing director and global head of Samsung Catalyst Fund, joined other corporate venture leaders, including Quinn Li of Qualcomm Ventures, Anthony Lin of Intel Capital, and moderator Peter Vanbekbergen of imec.xpand, to investigate emerging trends and discuss market drivers in the semiconductor industry.

The panel shared their insights on where they see the most promising investment opportunities—both today and tomorrow. For instance, Goldschmidt noted that the acceleration in digital transformation caused by the pandemic has led to interesting opportunities around new semiconductor chips.

The panel also offered the following tips for entrepreneurs that are in process of raising capital:

Goldschmidt advised entrepreneurs to clearly convey their value proposition by focusing their pitch on the customer’s needs and pains. That is infinitely more important than having a cool technology or idea that is looking for a problem to solve.

Anthony Lin of Intel warned entrepreneurs against simply taking as much money as you can, when you can. Instead, picking the right partner to invest in your company is critical. “Look for an investment team that develops a plan for each company they invest in,” he says. “You want a team that digs in to help portfolio companies monetize their platform and acquire and retain customers. That’s key to picking the right partner.”

Quinn Li of Qualcomm said that investors should have an area of expertise and know that space inside and out. When meeting with entrepreneurs, those investors should be able to ask the appropriate questions and understand the competitive landscape. “If investors keep asking the wrong questions or are not versed in your particular space, then maybe they are not the right partner for you.”

Watch the full panel below.