TDK announces corporate venture entity to invest in early stage material science technologies and companies

• TDK Corporation to establish a corporate venture, TDK Ventures, Inc.
• TDK Ventures will focus its investments on technologies and solutions that embrace digital and energy transformation towards a sustainable future.

July 1, 2019

TDK Corporation (TSE: 6762) today announced it has established TDK Ventures, Inc., a corporate venture company (CVC) to invest in early-stage innovative startups to bolster innovation in material science, energy/power and related areas typically underrepresented in venture capital portfolios. TDK Ventures, established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of TDK Corporation, will have an initial fund size of $50 million.

Building on TDK’s 85 years of experience commercializing magnetic and electronic materials, TDK Ventures will focus its investments on technologies and solutions that leverage fundamental material science to unlock an attractive and sustainable future for the world. These would include but not be limited to magnetics, MEMS, piezoelectrics, dielectrics, semiconductors, organic materials and neuro-electricals. TDK Ventures expects to identify and explore new ideas and technologies, fund and support promising companies and provide access to markets where TDK operates.

Innovative startups will be able to leverage TDK’s scale and reach to access potential customers, channels, a global ecosystem, industry connections, market knowledge, operating expertise as well as go-to-market/branding mentorship. In return, TDK will gain early insights into new technologies, allowing the leading global electronics company to enhance its technology roadmap and make forays into new markets and segments.

“The investments made by TDK Ventures will bring new, powerful, transformative business opportunities to TDK,” said Shigenao Ishiguro, President and Chief Executive Officer, TDK Corporation. “With TDK Ventures, TDK will continue to expand the marketplace and deliver sustainable growth into our future.”

The vision of TDK Ventures is to embrace and propel the digital and energy transformations of segments such as health and wellness, next-generation transportation, robotics and industrial, mixed reality, and the wider IoT markets. TDK plans to hire top talent with experience and investment capability related to CVC activities to collaborate with startups globally. Nicolas Sauvage, who brings more than 20 years of industry experience, will serve as Managing Director of TDK Ventures, Inc.

TDK Ventures is looking towards partnering with the right startups that meet our investment guiding principles; the development and use of fundamental material science to unlock meaningful megatrends. Interested startups may contact TDK Ventures: www.tdk-ventures.com or contact@tdk-ventures.com.

About TDK Corporation

TDK Corporation is a leading electronics company based in Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK’s comprehensive portfolio features passive components such as ceramic, aluminum electrolytic and film capacitors, as well as magnetics, high-frequency, and piezo and protection devices. The product spectrum also includes sensors and sensor systems such as temperature and pressure, magnetic, and MEMS sensors. In addition, TDK provides power supplies and energy devices, magnetic heads and more. These products are marketed under the product brands TDK, Chirp, EPCOS, InvenSense, Micronas, Tronics and TDK-Lambda. TDK focuses on demanding markets in the areas of information and communication technology and automotive, industrial and consumer electronics. The company has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe, and in North and South America. In fiscal 2019, TDK posted total sales of USD 12.5 billion and employed about 105,000 people worldwide.

Contacts for Media