The electronics producer will put an initial $100m into a California-based unit called Panasonic Ventures in order to access new business models, products or services.

Consumer electronics maker Intex will invest up to $31m in strategic investments, the first of which was made in sporting community app developer Rooter.

The insurance-focused venture capital fund has added Banco do Brasil subsidiary BB Seguridade to a range of limited partners including Microsoft, Qualcomm and Monsanto.

The industrial and consumer product maker has launched a corporate venturing arm called Henkel Ventures and expects to commit about $160m to the unit.

Six years after it spun out SAP Ventures, the enterprise software producer has formed a corporate venturing arm called SAP.IO Fund together with an incubator scheme.

Walmart will open a Silicon Valley incubator to back startups working on technologies that will impact the retail sector, including virtual reality and drone delivery.

The commercialisation firm has issued 7.5 million shares to raise $3.7m in fresh funds.

Albert Shyy has left Gree Ventures to run the newly opened Singapore office for the German media company's corporate venturing subsidiary, Burda Principal Investments.

The Machine Learning Startup Competition will enable the winner to secure up to $1m from venture capital partners Data Collective and Emergence Capital.