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Applied Ventures

North America, California, United States, Santa Clara

Description

Applied Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Applied Materials, a global leader in materials engineering solutions for the semiconductor, display, and related industries. Established in 2005, the firm strategically invests in early-stage to growth-stage companies developing disruptive innovations that align with Applied Materials' core businesses and future growth areas. Their investment thesis centers on technologies poised to shape the future of computing, connectivity, energy, and health, including advanced materials, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, sustainable manufacturing, and life sciences.

Beyond providing capital, Applied Ventures offers its portfolio companies significant strategic value. This includes access to Applied Materials' extensive global infrastructure, world-class engineering expertise, advanced labs, and a vast network of customers and partners across various industries. This deep integration and potential for collaboration allow portfolio companies to accelerate their product development, scale operations, and access new markets, leveraging the parent company's decades of experience and market leadership.

The firm has a robust and diverse portfolio, having made over 100 investments in companies worldwide since its inception. Applied Ventures typically participates in funding rounds ranging from Seed to Series B and beyond, with initial check sizes generally falling between $500,000 and $5,000,000, though they can participate in larger syndicated rounds. They actively manage a substantial capital pool, reportedly overseeing over $300 million in assets, which underscores their commitment to fostering innovation within their strategic domains. Their long-term investment horizon and focus on strategic alignment make them a distinctive partner for deep tech startups aiming for significant impact.

Investor Profile

Applied Ventures has backed more than 89 startups, with 5 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 21 rounds, about 24% of its total and boasts 17 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Series B, Series A, Series Unknown rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, France, Taiwan.
  • Strong thematic focus on Manufacturing, Semiconductor, Electronics.
  • Led 3 rounds in the past year.
  • Typical check size: $500K – $5M.

Stage Focus

  • Series B (29%)
  • Series A (21%)
  • Series Unknown (19%)
  • Series C (13%)
  • Series D (9%)
  • Seed (2%)
  • Post Ipo Equity (1%)
  • Post Ipo Debt (1%)
  • Pre Seed (1%)
  • Private Equity (1%)

Country Focus

  • United States (82%)
  • France (3%)
  • Taiwan (2%)
  • United Kingdom (2%)
  • South Korea (2%)
  • Singapore (1%)
  • Israel (1%)
  • China (1%)
  • India (1%)
  • Germany (1%)

Industry Focus

  • Manufacturing
  • Semiconductor
  • Electronics
  • Renewable Energy
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Solar
  • Hardware
  • Software
  • Consumer Electronics
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Applied Ventures frequently co-invest with?

D. E. Shaw & Co.
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 5
Lockheed Martin Ventures
North America, Maryland, United States, Bethesda
Co-Investments: 4
Core Capital Partners
North America, District of Columbia, United States, Washington
Co-Investments: 4
Amazon Alexa Fund
North America, Washington, United States, Seattle
Co-Investments: 3
Vertex Ventures China
Asia, Beijing, China, Beijing
Co-Investments: 4
Vertex Ventures
Asia, Central Region, Singapore, Singapore
Co-Investments: 4
Polaris Partners
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Co-Investments: 5
Samsung Ventures
Asia, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, South Korea, Seoul
Co-Investments: 4
Intel Capital
North America, California, United States, Santa Clara
Co-Investments: 15
ARCH Venture Partners
North America, Illinois, United States, Chicago
Co-Investments: 7

Which angels does Applied Ventures often collaborate with?

JB
Europe, Surrey, United Kingdom, Guildford
Shared Deals: 1
PT
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
JB
North America, Washington, United States, Seattle
Shared Deals: 1
SA
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
PG
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by Applied Ventures?

Rescale

San Francisco, California, United States

Rescale is a cloud simulation platform that enables research scientists and engineers to build, compute, analyze, and scale simulations.

AnalyticsArtificial Intelligence (AI)Enterprise SoftwareMachine LearningSimulationSoftwareSoftware Engineering
Series DApr 7, 2025
Amount Raised: $115,000,000
Qolab

Los Angeles, California, United States

Qolab is a technology company that engaged in research and development of superconducting quantum computers.

Information TechnologySaaSSoftware
Series AMar 17, 2025
Salience Labs

Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Salience Labs offers photonic solutions designed to enhance connectivity for AI data center infrastructure.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Data CenterIT InfrastructureMachine LearningSensorSoftware
Series AFeb 7, 2025
Amount Raised: $30,000,000
Ayar Labs

San Jose, California, United States

Ayar Labs develops optical I/O solutions for large-scale AI workloads to accelerate data movement within AI systems.

ComputerHardwareInformation TechnologySemiconductor
Series DDec 11, 2024
Amount Raised: $155,000,000
Microoled

Grenoble, Rhone-Alpes, France

Microoled is a provider of microdisplays for mobile near-to-eye viewing devices.

Consumer ElectronicsIndustrial ManufacturingSemiconductor
Series UnknownOct 1, 2024
TXOne Networks

Taipei, T'ai-pei, Taiwan

TXOne Networks offers cybersecurity solutions to protect industrial control systems from cyberattacks.

Cyber SecurityInternet of ThingsIntrusion DetectionNetwork Security
Series BMay 7, 2024
Amount Raised: $51,000,000
VVDN Technologies

Gurgaon, Haryana, India

VVDN Technologies provides product engineering, design, and manufacturing services for OEMs and other technology companies.

Cloud ManagementInformation TechnologyManufacturingService IndustrySoftware
Series UnknownFeb 19, 2024
Lightspeed Photonics

Singapore, Central Region, Singapore

Lightspeed Photonics is a building of modular optoelectronic processors and interconnects for data centers and near-edge computing.

ComputerElectronicsReal TimeSemiconductor
Pre SeedSep 29, 2023
Ayar Labs

Emeryville, California, United States

Ayar Labs develops an optical I/O solution for applications that require high bandwidth and low latency using light to move data.

ComputerHardwareInformation TechnologySemiconductor
Series CMay 24, 2023
Amount Raised: $25,000,000
3d Glass Solutions

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

3D Glass Solutions provides customers complete glass-enabled systems integration services.

Electronics
Series CApr 19, 2023
Amount Raised: $30,000,000