DSM has invested USD 3 million in the NextGen Enabling Technologies Fund. This is a Venture Capital Fund (VCF) located in Santa Barbara (California, USA) which is focusing on
investments in early stage companies in the area of High Performance Materials for use in
for example
electronics,
optics, communication hardware and biomedical applications. By investing in this fund,
DSM expects to accelerate innovations in the Performance Materials area by co-operating with small, innovative companies. This can
lead to triple win situations
for the early stage company as well for the VCF and DSM.
DSM Venturing
DSM Venturing is part of the Venturing &
business development business group and was formed in the first half of 2001. It has already invested in several Venture Capital Funds and will also invest directly in early stage companies in DSM's strategic growth fields: Food
Ingredients,
pharmaceutical intermediates and Performance Materials. "DSM Venturing's mission is to explore emerging markets and technologies in order to enhance DSM's product portfolio and create value. This business is one of DSM's important windows on
developments in the world," says Jan Zuidam, member of the Managing Board of Directors.
Paul Hamm, director of the Venturing & Business Development business group, continues: "Our business is to create value through strategic co-operations between DSM units and early phase companies, for example the joint development of technology, the sharing of
marketing and
sales channels, the development and supply of materials, etc. Those strategic co-operations may lead to a
spin-in into DSM." DSM Venturing closely co-operates with DSM's innovative business groups, business units and research organizations in the fields
of High Performance Materials,
food ingredients and Pharmaceutical Intermediates.