TDK Ventures

What does it take for VCs to move beyond platitudes and genuinely support the entrepreneurs they fund? In a recent Harvard Business Review article, our own President 🌱🤝🌍 Nicolas Sauvage explores how the Net Promoter Score (NPS) methodology has proven invaluable over the past five years. At TDK Ventures, NPS has guided and empowered us to serve our entrepreneurs more effectively as customers. Nicolas details a practical four-step approach for implementing NPS in a VC fund, demonstrating how it can unlock untapped ideas from entrepreneurs and ensure a mutually beneficial experience for both VCs and founders. Read the full article to explore these insights and more: https://lnkd.in/g2pbPtHf #VentureCapital #NetPromoterScore #NPS #startups #VC #entrepreneurs

Geetha R Dholakia, Ph.D Portfolio Program Director at TDK Ventures, will host “Unlocking Equal-Win Synergies in Startup-Corporate Collaboration” at the interactive Innov8rs.co Phoenix Conference on April 8th, during the Open Innovation track. Bringing her deep-tech perspective, Geetha will explore how corporate innovation can be accelerated by partnering with startups in the external ecosystem—leveraging the power of a CVC platform team to unlock mutual value. Join Geetha for a hands-on, thought-provoking conversation. 👉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ebRrEHs6

A CVC team must balance speed with rigorous decision-making. Moving too fast can weaken due diligence. A slow process can cause promising opportunities to be missed. In “The Opinionated CVC: A Perspective on Strategy, Process, and People,” TDK Ventures shares how structure, conviction, and contrarian thinking can lead to better decisions—and stronger founder relationships. Read the full piece for a look inside our investment approach: https://lnkd.in/gAj58EC5

Agility Robotics, a TDK Ventures portfolio company, is expanding its collaboration with NVIDIA to accelerate the development of Digit, the world’s leading humanoid robot built for real work in real environments. By integrating NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Isaac Lab, Agility is training Digit to handle complex tasks using reinforcement learning and large-scale simulation, advancing what’s possible with physical AI. This partnership enables digital twin testing at scale and supports real-world deployments like Schaeffler, where Digit is already solving hard-to-automate workflows. This is the next frontier of robotics—built to scale, and already on the job. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dH_qVaa4

CVC plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between established corporations and emerging startups. Through CVC, corporations provide financial support, expertise, and access to valuable networks, while startups benefit from the stability and resources of their corporate partners. In this article, TDK Ventures' Geetha R Dholakia, Ph.D explores best practices for building strong, mutually beneficial partnerships between CVCs and portfolio companies. Featuring insights from leaders at InMotion Ventures, Shell Ventures, and New Enterprise Associates (NEA), it highlights the importance of platform teams, internal advocacy, and clear communication. The piece also examines how CVCs can showcase their value, drive corporate transformation, and accelerate innovation through strategic and financial investments. Read more: https://lnkd.in/evQ9BFwr

At TDK Ventures, we believe that true impact goes beyond investment. We believe in empowering entrepreneurs to become Impact Scalers. Our latest Medium article, "From Founders to Impact Scalers: How TDK Ventures Drives Innovation Through Corporate Venture Capital," explores how we're redefining the CVC model to help startups turn breakthrough ideas into world-changing solutions. Since 2019, we've built a global portfolio of 43 startups, including unicorns like Ascend Elements, Groq, and SILICON BOX. But our mission goes far beyond funding—we provide hands-on support, strategic insights, and access to TDK's extensive resources to help founders scale faster and more effectively. By combining deep-tech investments with a founder-first mindset, we're accelerating innovations in energy, mobility, and digital transformation. Discover how we're driving impact through partnerships, operational support, and collaboration in our latest article. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gXJ7WVay

Excited to share our latest CVC insights. Check out this insightful conversation from our CVC Strategic Partnership Insights series, featuring Oliver F., Leader of Platform at InMotion Ventures. Hosted by our Portfolio Program Director, Geetha R Dholakia, Ph.D, this interview explores how InMotion Ventures has evolved from mobility-focused investments into a deep-tech-driven fund supporting climate, industrial, and enterprise technologies. Oliver shares how Verax AI, a startup tackling trust and security in generative AI, is now working as a design partner with JLR’s data science team—showcasing how CVCs can go beyond funding to become true enablers of innovation. “Platform is a fairly unknown function in the VC world, and it’s an even lesser-known function in the CVC world. But what we are seeing—and what I’m very excited about—is that across the VC and CVC landscape, platform and business development are becoming a non-negotiable function.” 💡 What are your thoughts on the role of platform teams in CVC? Have you seen great examples of CVCs successfully connecting their startups with corporate parents? Watch/listen to the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/gzrCp9KD

🔋 Why We Invested in Glimpse’s Series A 🔋 Battery storage is a key pillar of energy transformation, powering everything from EVs to grid resilience. But as energy storage demand skyrockets—3x growth by 2030—battery quality control has become a critical challenge. 💰 1% yield loss = $20M revenue hit for gigafactories 🔥 929 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in NYC alone 🚨 533% increase in BEV recalls (2018-2023) At TDK Ventures, we believe Glimpse is building the world's most powerful battery quality platform with its rapid 3D-CT scanning technology—bringing precision, efficiency, and safety to manufacturers and battery buyers alike. By enabling in-line 3D-CT scanning, Glimpse is unlocking new levels of reliability and trust in battery production. We’re thrilled to support Glimpse as they scale this game-changing solution. Read more on why we invested:👇 https://lnkd.in/gNhMgRnR

AM Batteries , a TDK Ventures portfolio company, is joining forces with TDK Corporation to redefine battery manufacturing. This newly announced Joint Development Agreement (JDA) will accelerate the commercialization of AM Batteries’ solvent-free dry electrode technology—reducing energy consumption and waste while unlocking new possibilities for next-gen energy storage. At TDK Ventures, we invest in transformative solutions that drive sustainability and efficiency. Dry electrode technology is a game-changer, paving the way for cleaner, more cost-effective battery production. With TDK’s deep manufacturing expertise and AM Batteries’ groundbreaking approach, this partnership is set to power the future—from EVs to grid-scale storage. “Partnering with AM Batteries marks a key step in making battery production more efficient and environmentally friendly,” said Shigeki Sato, CTO and General Manager, Technology & Intellectual Property HQ, TDK Corporation. “Dry coating technology offers a compelling path to reducing waste and energy use while maintaining high performance and enabling next-generation battery chemistries.” We’re proud to support AM Batteries as they revolutionize energy storage and build a more sustainable future. 🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dfD-Uanp

🚀 Revolutionizing AI Chip Cooling: Why We Invested in NovoLINC 🚀 As AI accelerates, data centers face an urgent challenge: cooling power-hungry chips efficiently. With cooling already consuming 40% of data center energy and power demands set to double in the next decade, traditional solutions can’t keep up. At TDK Ventures, we invest in game-changing innovations that tackle the world’s toughest tech challenges. That’s why, alongside M Ventures and Foothill Ventures, we have invested in NovoLINC, a pioneer in next-generation thermal interface materials (TIMs) that will redefine liquid cooling for AI chips. 🔥 What makes NovoLINC a game-changer? ✅ Unmatched thermal performance – 10x improvement over conventional TIMs ✅ Scalable & cost-effective – continuous manufacturing for rapid deployment ✅ Sustainable impact – reducing energy consumption in data centers With vertically aligned copper nanostructures and a proprietary heat-spreading technology, NovoLINC is setting a new standard for thermal management. 🌍 As AI and computing demand surge, efficient cooling is no longer optional—it’s mission-critical. NovoLINC’s breakthrough TIM technology is paving the way for more efficient, sustainable, and high-performance data centers. Read more about why we invested: https://lnkd.in/gADit2SX