US-based design software producer Autodesk launched a $100m investment fund yesterday in a bid to help build a cloud-connected design ecosystem through an initiative the company calls Forge.
Forge itself is a cloud services platform for cloud-powered developers that incorporates design, engineering, visualisation, collaboration, production and operations.
Autodesk will fund startups working on innovative technology and services that are built on, or connected to the Forge platform. It will also supply business and technical support to the fund’s portfolio companies.
The Forge initiative will involve Autodesk forming partnerships with developers and innovators to expand and connect the design and creation of the next generation of products.
Autodesk has formed a developer program that will provide training, resources and support for the those in the cloud community.
Amar Hanspal, senior vice president of products at Autodesk, explained: “The way we design, make and use products is rapidly changing. New technologies are disrupting every aspect of the product lifecycle.
“Autodesk is launching Forge to help developers build new businesses in the changing manufacturing landscape. We are inviting innovators to take advantage of Autodesk’s cloud platform to build services that turn today’s disconnected technologies into highly connected, personalised experiences.”
The first six partners in the initiative are BriteHub, a platform that connects product developers with suppliers; injection moulding and machining service Proto Labs; 3D printing services provider Fathom; digital fabrication startup 100kGarages; machining service provider MakeTime and hardware development platform HWTrek.
Autodesk’s formation of the fund follows its launch of another $100m fund in October 2014, the Spark Investment Fund, which invests in early-stage companies developing technology compatible with its Spark 3D printer programming platform.