Intel remains bullish on China with $67M investment spread over 8 tech companies

Intel Capital, the investment and mergers/acquisitions wing of Intel, has announced a hefty US$67 million investment in a group of eight Chinese technology companies, with specialties ranging from robotics to cloud data.

According to a statement released by Intel, these companies were chosen because they represent the leading edge of Chinese tech, each presenting an opportunity for Intel to leverage its capital with each company’s expertise and presence in China.

Intel has put the total investment figure at US$67 million, but has not released the precise figures per company. The groups receiving investment are:

• 99cloud, a cloud-computing company
• Bluebank Communication Technology, a device and software developer
• Shenzhen Hampoo Science & Technology, an electronics design/production firm
• Ninebot, a personal transportation company (which recently acquired Segway)
• Nuovo Film, an electronics production company that makes touch screen panels
• Shenzhen PraFly Technology, a robotics company
• AWcloud Technology, a cloud-computing company
• Telink Semiconductor, a chip manufacturer focusing on Internet of Things tech

This isn’t the first time that Intel Capital has delved into China’s tech scene. Last year, the group invested US$28 million in five Chinese startups, namely those focused on wearables, mobile, and home tech. This round seems to focus more on hardware production and cloud computing, and features a notably larger sum.

In an interview with Tech In Asia earlier this year, former Intel Capital managing director for China, Richard Hsu, said these past few years have been “the most exciting time to be in tech investment in China.”

Intel Capital is now under the helm of Lisa Zhang – who formerly co-managed the group with Hsu – and it looks like the company still believes these are great times for Chinese tech.

Correction: An earlier version of this article failed to note that Richard Hsu is no longer with Intel, and that Lisa Zhang is now sole managing director for Intel Capital, China.