Intel Capital announces China, Japan investments
Intel Capital, the captive VC arm of Intel Corp, has invested in technology start-ups from China and Japan as part of a $60 million overall investment in 15 companies worldwide.
Tokyo-based LeapMind and Beijing-based Horizon Robotics will receive funding, along with a number of other start-ups working on big data, autonomous machines and online security in the US, Canada and Israel. Financial details of the individual companies’ investments have not been disclosed.
LeapMind develops software focused on machine learning capabilities for devices with limited computing power, particularly devices aimed at internet-of-things (IoT) applications. The company hopes to help manufacturers and software developers improve the capabilities of their connected devices without upgrading the physical technology.
Like LeapMind, Horizon develops artificial intelligence solutions for integrated and embedded computing devices. The company plans for its technology to be eventually integrated into more than 1,000 categories of devices, ranging from smart cameras to autonomous vehicles, improving their safety and performance.
“The world is undergoing a data explosion. By 2020, every autonomous vehicle on the road will create 4 terabytes of data per day. A million self-driving cars will create the same amount of data every day as 3 billion people,” said Wendell Brooks, senior vice president at Intel and president of Intel Capital, in a statement. “As Intel transitions to a data company, Intel Capital is actively investing in startups across the technology spectrum that can help expand the data ecosystem and pathfind important new technologies.”
Intel Capital claims to have invested $12.2 billion across 1,500 companies worldwide since 1991, with more than 640 portfolio companies having gone public or been acquired. The firm targets start-ups across the technology spectrum: recent investments in Asia include smart city technology provider Eazytec and communication platform developer Grand Chip, both based in China.
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