Intel creates $100M fund for more 'human-like' devices

Intel Capital, the chip giant's global investment and M&A arm, has created a US$100 million investment fund to accelerate the development of "human-like" sensing technology in devices across its architecture platform.

According to a statement released Tuesday, the company said at the Computex event in Taiwan the new fund named the "Intel Capital Experiences and Perceptual Computing Fund", will invest in startups and companies over the next two to three years.

The areas of software and application investment include broader touch applications, imaging, gesture, voice and emotion sensing and biometrics.

With the fund, Intel will help these companies with business development support, global business network and technology expertise needed to scale for worldwide use.

“Devices with human-like senses--the ability to see, hear and feel much like people do--has long been a subject of science fiction but is now within reach given recent innovations in compute power and camera technology,” Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel Capital and Intel executive vice president, said in the statement.

The fund complements Intel Capital's existing Ultrabook Fund started in August 2011, a US$300 million investment in innovative system component technologies in areas such as audio, touch, battery, display, sensor and wireless connectivity to make the Ultrabook device thinner, lighter, more secure and responsive.