In the ever-evolving landscape of enterprise software and digital transformation, few names resonate as strongly in the world of venture capital as Victor Chang. As a key player within ServiceNow Ventures, the strategic investment arm of ServiceNow, Victor Chang has emerged as a leading force in shaping the future of innovation. With deep expertise in software, cloud computing, and startup development, Victor plays a critical role in identifying and supporting the next generation of companies that align with ServiceNow’s broader mission to make the world of work, work better for people.
TLDR (Too long, didn’t read)
Victor Chang serves as Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate and Business Development at ServiceNow, leading ServiceNow Ventures, the company’s strategic corporate venture capital arm. He oversees investments into early and growth-stage enterprise SaaS startups that complement and expand ServiceNow’s core business. With a sharp eye for strategic alignment, Chang helps portfolio companies scale while fostering innovation that fuels ServiceNow’s ecosystem. His work is a prime example of how smart corporate VC efforts can bridge the gap between disruptive startup ideas and large-scale enterprise transformation.
What is ServiceNow Ventures?
ServiceNow Ventures is the strategic investment division of ServiceNow, created to fund and partner with promising startups that add value to its platform and customer ecosystem. Unlike traditional venture capital firms that prioritize financial return alone, ServiceNow Ventures focuses on investments that offer both strategic and financial upside.
- Founded: 2015
- Focus Areas: Enterprise SaaS, AI and Machine Learning, Security, IT Operations, and Workflow Automation
- Investment Stages: Seed to Growth-stage
ServiceNow’s platform, long known for IT service management, has expanded significantly into areas like HR, customer service, and cybersecurity. By leveraging investments through ServiceNow Ventures, the company accelerates that expansion while cultivating an ecosystem of tightly integrated partners.
Enter Victor Chang
Victor Chang is widely recognized as the architect of ServiceNow’s venture strategy. With a background that includes key roles at top-tier VC firms and enterprise SaaS companies, Chang brings a unique combination of technical acumen and business intuition to the role. Currently serving as SVP of Corporate Development and Ventures, he oversees all investment and M&A activity for the company.
In Chang’s own words, ServiceNow Ventures doesn’t just back companies—it builds lasting innovation. That means strategic diligence is as important as financial due diligence. This unique dual-lens has enabled him to spot startups that fill critical gaps in the ServiceNow ecosystem while also becoming category leaders in their own right.
Objectives of ServiceNow Ventures under Victor Chang
Victor Chang has clearly articulated the dual-mandate strategy of ServiceNow Ventures: combine investment with strategic integration. Here are the core goals under his leadership:
- Platform Expansion: Invest in tools and teams that expand the capabilities of the ServiceNow platform, especially in fields like AI and industry-specific solutions.
- Customer Value: Back startups that help ServiceNow clients achieve ROI, efficiency, and transformation.
- Ecosystem Synergy: Cultivate partnerships that lead to richer integrations, co-selling opportunities, and stronger network effects.
- Innovation Pipeline: Identify early trends before they go mainstream, using startups as a lens into the next decade of enterprise tech.
Investment Examples
Under Victor Chang’s stewardship, ServiceNow Ventures has built a strong portfolio comprising over 40 investments globally. Here are a few standout examples:
- Paradox: An AI-powered recruiting assistant that enhances talent acquisition workflows. It seamlessly integrates with ServiceNow HRSD.
- Tanium: A security platform that operates at global scale, helping firms manage endpoints—an increasingly crucial capability in the hybrid workforce era.
- Observer (acquired by Splunk): Helped ServiceNow better understand AIOps capabilities, informing internal development and roadmap decisions.
These examples highlight how investments often serve dual purposes: opening near-term technical collaboration and shaping longer-term product strategy.
Strategic vs. Financial VC
What sets ServiceNow Ventures apart—particularly under Victor Chang’s leadership—is its strong emphasis on strategic relevance. While many corporate VCs are accused of being slow-moving or risk-averse, Chang has built a fast-moving team that operates with startup mentality inside a $100B market cap enterprise.
Here’s how strategic VC differs from traditional VC, and what Chang does well:
| Traditional VC | Strategic VC (ServiceNow Ventures) |
|---|---|
| Focus on maximizing financial ROI | Optimize for strategic alignment and platform synergy |
| Independent operations | Deep collaboration with product and engineering teams |
| Often fund competing solutions | Select investments that complement, not compete with, in-house capabilities |
This balance between strategic insight and entrepreneurial flexibility is something Victor Chang has mastered over the years—making him not just an investor, but a critical influence on ServiceNow’s product roadmap itself.
The Role of AI in ServiceNow’s Investment Thesis
AI and Machine Learning play a pivotal role in the next-generation of enterprise platforms. Recognizing this, Victor Chang has actively pushed ServiceNow Ventures toward AI-centric bets that align with features such as Predictive Intelligence, Virtual Agents, and Process Optimization within the Now Platform.
Companies leveraging GenAI, NLP, and intelligent automation have increasingly found their way into the portfolio. And with ServiceNow itself embedding those capabilities, the synergy potential is significant.
Beyond Capital: Portfolio Support
Another dimension of Victor Chang’s leadership is his dedication to post-investment value creation. This includes:
- Go-to-Market Support: Helping startups land flagship customers through ServiceNow’s distribution engine
- Technical Collaboration: Working with engineers to ensure seamless integrations with the Now Platform
- Thought Leadership: Hosting internal innovation summits, co-marketing conferences, and joint R&D sprints
It’s not just about writing checks—it’s about being a partner in product, marketing, and scale. This collaborative approach has made ServiceNow Ventures one of the most sought-after corporate investors in enterprise tech today.
Recent Trends and the Road Ahead
Looking forward, there are several emerging trends that will likely shape ServiceNow Ventures’ strategy:
- Industry Clouds: Investing in vertical-specific SaaS solutions tailored for healthcare, finance, public sector, and manufacturing.
- Sustainability and ESG: Tools that help enterprises monitor and manage environmental and social impact.
- Decentralization: Technologies that empower hybrid and distributed teams with enterprise-grade security and compliance.
In response to these shifts, Victor Chang has emphasized agility and long-term planning. His team not only tracks global venture activity but also partners with internal innovation hubs at ServiceNow to guide roadmap alignment.
Final Thoughts
Victor Chang’s leadership of ServiceNow Ventures exemplifies the best of what corporate venture capital can be—fast, focused, and future-oriented. His ability to align startup innovation with enterprise demands creates a win-win scenario for all stakeholders: customers, founders, and the parent company alike.
Through a combination of strategic insight, operational expertise, and passion for innovation, Chang is not just investing in companies—he’s transforming how next-gen enterprise software is built and scaled.
As digital transformation continues to accelerate, the role of corporate venture capital will only become more vital. And in that space, Victor Chang and ServiceNow Ventures are paving a path worth watching.