Intel Capital invested $465M through August; on track to surpass $600M this year
Intel Capital, the world’s largest corporate venture organization, has invested $465 million in innovative technology startups across the globe through the first eight months of 2015, the chip giant’s strategic investment and M&A arm announced.
“This is shaping up to be one of our strongest years in recent memory,” said Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel Capital and executive vice president of Intel Corp. He expects his worldwide team to invest at least another $150 million before year’s end.
Many of those new deals will be announced at the annual Intel Capital Global Summit Nov. 2-4. The event will bring more than 1,000 startup CEOs, venture capitalists and tech decision-makers from the Global 2000 to the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego.
Incoming Intel Capital President Wendell Brooks, who officially began co-managing the organization September 1, said he’s excited to attend his first Global Summit. “Intel Capital invests across the spectrum of technology, and I’m looking forward to continuing that tradition and getting to know more of our partners and portfolio CEOs,” said the veteran investment banker, who joined Intel last year to head the company’s mergers and acquisitions.
Brooks and Sodhani will jointly manage Intel Capital until January, when Sodhani plans to retire from Intel after 35 years. During his decade as president, Intel Capital has been transformed into a global VC powerhouse and has led the venture capital industry in exits, according to PitchBook.
Fifteen Intel Capital portfolio companies have achieved exits so far this year. Over that same period, the organization has notched 45 new investments and 49 follow-on investments. Representative deals this year include Mirantis (cloud computing); Skyport Systems (cybersecurity); Rithmio (wearable technology); Maana (Big Data); Yuneec Aviation (drones); Peloton Technology (connected vehicles); and GoodData (cloud-based business intelligence).
Signing a term sheet with Intel Capital is just the beginning for its startups. Leveraging Intel Corp.’s vast worldwide network of technologists, customers and partners, Intel Capital’s business development team curates thousands of meetings each year between portfolio companies and potential customers. Those startups also help Intel identify and develop new technology ecosystems. “It’s a unique value proposition no other VC can offer on the same scale,” said Brooks.
At Global Summit, that business development matchmaking hits a fever pitch, with hundreds of executives scouting for new technologies that can help their corporations rise above the competition. Summing up the conference agenda, Sodhani promised: “You’ll get a chance to hear from us not just about where we’ve been, but about where innovation and investing are headed.” For more information about the event, visit www.intelportfolio.com/globalsummit/.
2015 by the numbers:
New investments: 45
Total investments: 94
Dollars to date: $175M from core investment pool; $290 from other Intel funds
Countries invested in: 22
Exits to date: 15 (3 IPOs, 12 M&A transactions)
Released Sep 9, 2015 • 12:00 AM EDT