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.

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.

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.

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.