Qualcomm has invested $40 million in four Chinese companies as well as the China Walden Venture Investments fund.
It will be interesting to see if the moves defuse Qualcomm’s legal troubles in China. The San Diego, Calif.-based company is so dominant in mobile processors that it faces antitrust probes in China.
Qualcomm is investing in 7Invensun, an eye-tracking solution provider; Chukong Technologies, a mobile entertainment platform provider; inPlug, a smart home device/platform solution provider; and Unisound, a voice recognition and processing technology provider. The investments in the startups and the fund will come from Qualcomm’s $150 million strategic China venture fund that was announced earlier this year. Qualcomm said it invested in the companies for their innovative work in mobile and wireless technologies. The China Walden Venture Investments fund will invest in chip-related technologies.
“Qualcomm is passionate about innovation and committed to helping advance the Chinese wireless industry,” said Nagraj Kashyap, senior vice president of Qualcomm Ventures, in a statement. “With a focus on semiconductors, mobile application enablers, smart home, and healthcare, this group of startup companies closely complements existing products and services from Qualcomm Incorporated’s subsidiaries. We look forward to working with these innovative companies to provide financial, marketing, technology, and business support to help propel them forward in the competitive wireless ecosystem.”
Qualcomm Ventures has been around since 2000, and it has a portfolio of 120 active companies across the globe.