Intel Capital invests $40M in 10 companies

Intel Capital, Intel's investment and M&A (mergers and acquisitions) arm announced US$40 million worth of investments in technology companies worldwide, including five from Asia. 

The investment is meant to help these companies grow to the next level, according to a press statement by the company on Tuesday. The announcement, made at Intel Capital Global Summit, cover a range of technologies from collaborating in the cloud, delivering digital entertainment, simplifying mobile payments and enabling new device interaction. 

Asian companies include India-based Hungama.com, a digital entertainment company, LIFO Interactive, a South Korean social game developer, China-based Transmenion television-focused gaming service providers, and UUCun, a Chinese mobile Internet ad platform connecting phone makers, app developers and advertisers. 

FocalTech, a Taiwan-based integrated circuit design house specializing in touch panel controllers is also included but subject to closing conditions of the investment. 

Intel Capital has a goal--to increase the utilization of microprocessors by clients and servers, Arvind Sodhani, president of Intel Captal and Intel executive vice president said in a webcast, according to The Register news site. The ten companies chosen, had supported Intel Capital's goal, he said. 

Sodhani added Intel Capital can be a "very patient" investor, and not swayed by the need to make high profits in a short time. Since the group is not focused on the long-term, they are "not in a rush to get in, get out" which was often the case when a company has the pressure of a fund, especially if the fund is "is at the tail end of its fund" and there is a lot of pressure on fund managers to get an exit.