Intel is still known the world over as the biggest maker of chips on the planet, a development that's no mean feat given how much business has changed since Intel first got started. But even Intel must consider its future, and that means investment. With the device market shifting, Intel's venture capital arm, Intel Capital, recently announced that it's putting a hefty investment into some potentially up-and-coming young tech firms: $62 million worth of investment, at last report.
The current word suggests that Intel has been working at laying out new investments for some time now, and the 16 firms getting cash from Intel cover a wide variety of firms within the tech class, ranging from those who handle big data analytics systems to those who focus on wearable devices, smart devices, and the rapidly-growing Internet of Things (IoT). More specifically, Braigo Labs got some investment; run by 13 year old Shubham Banerjee, who created a Braille printer for the blind using nothing but Intel Edison chips and some Legos. Last year, Intel laid out fully $333 million in hopes of driving the next generation of tech development, and Intel expects that number to climb to fully $355 million this year.
Intel Capital even went so far as to host an event with the CEOs of the startup companies in question at the 15th annual Intel Capital Global Summit at Huntington Beach, California. Intel Capital's president, Arvind Sodhani, offered up some comment around the investment plans, saying “Intel Capital invests in the technology continuum that runs from wearables and the Internet of things to big data analytics —and everything in between, including silicon, smart devices, PCs, the cloud, and data centers. We are focused on helping innovative companies develop across this technology ecosystem.”
While it could be said, and easily too, that Intel is putting some focus into future development as a means to help its target market, and thus have its name associated with these developments—in Braigo Labs' case, it's especially poignant; how many blind people will have cause to think “I couldn't read this without Intel” and remember that in future purchases?—but it's actually more than that as well. Intel is helping to ensure its own survival as a company by setting up its next wave of the market. With the PC somewhat on the decline in recent years, its place taken over by mobile devices like tablets and smartphones, Intel needs new markets to sell chips. Thankfully, there are a wide array of technological developments that Intel can add its chip line to; the various parts of the IoT certainly won't go wanting for chips, nor will the various wearable devices out there, which some even think may ultimately take over for mobile devices. Why carry it, after all, when it can just be worn?
Naturally, the specifics of this arrangement, and the impact of same, won't be known for some time. But Intel appears to be planting the seeds of its tomorrow today, a development that has to be welcome for its shareholders and the company itself.
Edited by
Maurice Nagle
