TDK Ventures Manages $500M Funds with Early $6.9B Valuation Bet on Groq
GOOG•Since 2019 TDK Ventures has managed $500 million across four funds, investing early in inference chip startup Groq — now valued at $6.9 billion — founded by a former Google TPU engineer. Nicolas Sauvage’s corporate venture arm focuses on durable AI infrastructure bets that capitalize on compounding inference demand.
1. TDK Ventures Launch and Fundraising
Nicolas Sauvage founded TDK’s corporate venture arm in 2019 after joining through an acquisition, securing approval to build a fund mandate focused on identifying emerging threats and opportunities to the parent company. The unit has since grown to manage $500 million across four distinct funds, targeting long-term technology plays.
2. Early Bet on Groq
In 2020 TDK Ventures invested in Groq, an AI chip startup founded by a former Google TPU engineer, based on its inference-optimized architecture and compiler-first design. Groq’s focus on streamlined, scalable inference compute has driven its valuation to $6.9 billion in its latest funding round.
3. Rising Demand for Inference
Sauvage anticipated that inference workloads would compound with every new AI application, a thesis that proved prescient as multi-agent AI systems proliferated in 2026. The firm’s conviction in the ‘boring parts’ of AI infrastructure underscores a strategic shift toward predictable, volume-driven compute markets.
4. Portfolio Diversification
Beyond Groq, TDK Ventures has deployed capital into technologies now gaining VC interest, including solid-state grid transformers, sodium-ion battery systems for data centers and alternative battery chemistries that reduce reliance on lithium and cobalt. These investments align with TDK’s broader goal of securing resilient, future-proof technology supply chains.
