# TDK Ventures

> TDK Ventures is TDK Corporation’s corporate venture capital subsidiary, backing early-stage deep-tech startups globally and connecting them with technical, manufacturing and commercial support. Established in 2019, it reports $500 million in assets under management across four funds and 55 portfolio companies as of its September 2026 R3 Lithium announcement.

- **Founded:** 2019
- **Headquarters:** San Jose, United States
- **Founders:** Nicolas Sauvage (Founder and President)
- **Products:** Early-stage deep-tech investment, TDK Goodness, Fund EX1, Fund 3, Open-source Investment Scorecard
- **Notable:** Grew reported fund capital from a $50 million initial fund in 2019 to $500 million AUM across four funds in April 2025., Fund 2 announcement reported three exits within the first 18 months: GenCell IPO, SLD Laser acquisition and Origin acquisition., Reached 50 investments by the end of 2025 and announced R3 Lithium as portfolio company 55 in September 2026.

## Products & services

- **Early-stage deep-tech investment** — Global investments typically from Seed through Series B; the current website advertises checks up to $5 million.
- **TDK Goodness** — Tailored support including validation, pilots, manufacturing and supply-chain expertise, customer introductions and operating assistance.
- **Fund EX1** — $150 million energy-transformation fund focused on early-stage electrification and decarbonization in the US and Europe.
- **Fund 3** — $150 million early-stage fund covering AI, computing, connectivity, materials, climate, robotics, manufacturing and mobility.
- **Open-source Investment Scorecard** — Creative Commons CC BY spreadsheet with seven diligence pillars, available for founders and investors.
- **Engagement Checkerboard** — Public spreadsheet template that visualizes progress in collaborations between startups and corporate teams.

## Achievements

- Grew reported fund capital from a $50 million initial fund in 2019 to $500 million AUM across four funds in April 2025.
- Fund 2 announcement reported three exits within the first 18 months: GenCell IPO, SLD Laser acquisition and Origin acquisition.
- Reached 50 investments by the end of 2025 and announced R3 Lithium as portfolio company 55 in September 2026.
- Its current website reports one IPO and six mergers and acquisitions; these are company-reported counts.
- Published reusable investment and engagement spreadsheet templates.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Announced investment in R3 Lithium’s $15 million Series A; the 55th portfolio company targets continuous commercial production in 2027.
- **2026-06** — Announced investment in Aston Power, focused on power infrastructure for industrial users and AI data centers.
- **2026-05** — Announced investment in C2i Semiconductors for AI data center power delivery.
- **2026-02** — Published the open-source Engagement Checkerboard and a retrospective on the first 50 investments.

## Links

- Website: https://tdk-ventures.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tdk-ventures/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/TDKVentures
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TDKVentures/playlists

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/tdk-ventures
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-27