Industrial

This is the second in a bimonthly series of articles about the personal alternative investments markets available to the professional corporate venturer. This section in Global Corporate Venturing magazine looks beyond our readers' day jobs at how they manage their time and wealth using the same skills of insight, trend analysis and managing risk they bring to their professional careers.

These pages summarise last month's deal activity with a corporate venturing involvement. To report a deal or add your data, email Toby Lewis at tlewis@globalcorporateventuring.com

A trend to watch for much of this year will be corporates coming in to lead rounds for exciting new technologies of a capital intensive nature. For contrarian corporates getting in, while others are pulling back, the opportunity is promising.

The US-based rechargeable battery company wins backing from Applied Ventures and In-Q-Tel, as well as DE Shaw Ventures and Generation Investment Management among others.

The UK's Business Growth Fund backs the Scotland-based laser company.

Japan-based materials supplier JSR Corporation and a venture firm linked to US-based advanced ceramics business Coorstek invest in the ionic liquids company, which plans to be the first producer of the battery material in "industrial volumes".

Nuno Carvalho is the new head of Bekaert Corporate Venturing since the beginning of the month

The multi-track element signifies Astellas is developing its innovation toolkit - including R&D, venture-backed entrepreneurs and licensing - so various units can work relatively independently on similar medical problems and leave it up luck and judgement as to which one might work and then be distributed if successful enough.

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital is joined by Taiwan-based Industrial Technology Investment Company's GVT fund backing the US-based lighting company.

For US-listed IBM, which coined the term era of smart, its own value will be created from amplifying innovation and creating technology and a platform for others to help increase the abilities of individuals and institutions.