ntel rumors that it will spin off its corporate venture arm known as Intel Capital, into a standalone fund, having Intel as an “anchor investor”.
On Tuesday, in a press release, Intel said that this shift will enable “greater autonomy” and “the flexibility to attract external capital”. Even more so, TechCrunch reported that the company is expecting Intel Capital to begin operating independently as of the second half of 2025 at which point they will be rebranded.
David Zinsner, Intel’s co-chief executive officer and chief financial officer reported in a statement that “The separation of Intel Capital is a win-win scenario as it provides the fund with access to new sources of capital to expand its franchise while allowing both companies to continue benefiting from a productive long-term strategic partnership,” also adding “This step supports our broader strategy to maximize the value of our assets while driving greater focus and efficiency across the business.”.
In 1991, Intel created Intel Capital under former Intel Executive Vice President Les Vadasez. It is also worth mentioning that Intel Capital’s original mission was to support the development of Intel’s ecosystem through equity investments in strategic companies.
AMD and Nvidia followed Intel’s suit with their own venture funds, as a result, only last year Nvidia has been investing over $1 billion into the development of AI companies. Yet, as of today, Intel's capital holds over $5 billion in assets. In the last 30 years, the company has invested in over 1.800 companies in different sectors such as silicon, 5G, cloud, and devices.
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Since 2014, Intel Capital has developed its investments in AI startups. Some of the more notable ones are SambaNova, AI21 Labs, and Figure, platforms that are all specialized in the development of AI technologies in different sectors.
Even more so, Intel’s decision to spin out Intel's Capital comes after the company has come to the board of directors forced out the CEO Pat Gelsinger last month and appointed his palace as interim co-CEOs Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus.
However, Intel has had a hard path in the last months, as last October the company posted a $16.6 billion quarterly loss, which marks the biggest loss in the 56-year history of the company. 2024, is the worst year for Intel since they have got public in 1971.
By
Bill O'Neill
•
January 15, 2025 12:00 PM
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