Dell Ventures to invest $300 million for innovation

NEW DELHI: Dell Ventures, the investment arm of technology giant Dell, today announced a USD 300 million fund to invest in early stage companies working on emerging technologies like cloud computing, big data, security and mobility.

The ' Strategic Innovation Venture Fund' will enable Dell to invest in early-to-growth-stage companies in emerging technology areas including storage, cloud computing, big data, next-generation data centre, security and mobility, Dell said in a statement.

The Fund is Dell's second major investment fund and builds on the USD 60 million Dell Fluid Data Storage Fund announced last year, it added.

Dell has already met entrepreneurs and venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, Boston and Israel and reviewed hundreds of companies, it said.

It added that the company has also invested in numerous startups that have contributed to Dell's storage and end-to-end solutions innovation.

"Dell is committed to bringing the most innovative, affordable and easy to manage technology solutions to our customers. To accomplish this, we will aggressively pursue organic investment in R&D, acquisitions and venture investing," Dell CFO Brian Gladden said.

The expansion of the venture investing will allow Dell to stay at the forefront of innovation for customers, and support entrepreneurs who are helping shape the future of IT, he added.

Dell Ventures co-invests with venture capitalists and other strategic investors, acting as a board advisor and making the full breadth of Dell resources available to the portfolio company.

These resources include technical and business counsel, as well as access to brand scale, OEM solutions, channel and go-to-market relationships.

In addition to equipping startups with resources through Dell Ventures, Dell also provides entrepreneurs of all stages access to the technology, financing, networks and knowledge they need to turn an idea into a successful, growing business through the Dell Center for Entrepreneurs.

The Center for Entrepreneurs recently expanded into the UK and will launch in additional markets in 2014 with the help of a Global Advisory Board of entrepreneurs to lend strategic direction, it said.