Japan-headquartered industrial equipment manufacturer Nabtesco has launched a Switzerland-based corporate venturing fund called Nabtesco Technology Ventures with a €75m ($85m) corpus.
The unit, which is being operated in partnership with Switzerland-based investment firm Emerald Technology Ventures, will invest in areas of strategic importance to Nabtesco, such as robotics, motors, artificial intelligence and internet-of-things technology.
Nabtesco Technology Ventures has been operational since June this year. It will particularly focus on motion control technology and is chiefly looking at investments in Europe and North America.
Hiroshi Nerima, a business development manager at Nabtesco who joined the company in 2012, will be Nabtesco Technology Ventures’ president, chief executive and managing partner. He had been involved in laying the groundwork for the vehicle since March 2017.
Nerima said earlier this year: “Through this agreement made between Emerald and Nabtesco, we are taking advantage of Emerald’s two decades of experience in industrial technology venturing, its transatlantic presence and global reach, as well as its successful track record of creating value for strategic investors.”
