Dell Technologies Capital Promises $100 Million Annual Investment

Dell Technologies has officially unveiled its venture arm after bringing it out of stealth at EMC World 2017 in Las Vegas.

Dell Technologies Capital has already invested in over 70 early-stage startups, with an annual budget of approximately $100 million (£77m) to spend on promising founders and new technology innovations.

The business focuses on emerging technologies that fit with the Dell Technologies’ consortium of firms, consisting of Dell, Dell EMC, Pivotal, RSA, SecureWorks, Virtustream and VMware.

Investment drive

Investment has so far been focused on many key aspects of technology – such as security, data analytics, cloud computing and storage – as well as more forward-looking areas such as machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Of the 70+ startups already invested in, it’s fair to say that the majority aren’t exactly household names but there are a few that will stand out for technology enthusiasts.

For example. electronic signature firm DocuSign is probably one of the most widely known, but notable mentions should also go to AI-based cyber security firm Cylance, cloud security platform Zscaler and data protection firm Druva.

“Capital is merely table stakes to set a startup company on the path to success. New companies are looking for active investment partners who provide breadth and depth of expertise and access to resources and scale,” said Scott Darling, president of the business.

“Dell Technologies Capital is comprised of a team of highly experienced investors with an extensive network of industry contacts to help our portfolio companies achieve escape velocity. We’ve been making these investments in stealth mode for a number of years and are accelerating our pace of investments.”

The venture arm is certainly an attractive proposition for startups, providing access to board members, technical expertise other technologists and investors and new go-to-market opportunities.

“At Dell Technologies Capital, we have a fundamental understanding of what promising young companies need to change the world,” said Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies. “We provide the resources, scale and expertise to help them continue innovating and maximise their potential.”

Dell EMC World

It has been a jam-packed few days in Las Vegas, will Michael Dell and his host of execs keen to push the future vision of this newly-formed powerhouse eight months on from the completion of the biggest ever merger in IT.

The conference kicked off with a host of product updates and releases in the areas of cloud, storage and data protection, as Dell EMC staked its claim to lead today’s digital transformation narrative in what it believes will become a multi-cloud world.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has also been an area of focus, with Dell announcing multiple new products and partnerships to widen its offering.

And, amongst all this new tech, the company hasn’t forgotten about the human factor of digital transformation. Various execs have repeatedly warned about how the modern workforce is changing and that businesses need to react whether they like it or not.

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