• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, says he’s living in an Airstream trailer to oversee xAI’s biggest expansion yet

2

Billionaire TikTok founder is now the richest person in all of Asia, with a $105 billion net worth—he's gained $92 billion since 2019 thanks to AI

3

Current price of oil as of September 17, 2026

1

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, says he’s living in an Airstream trailer to oversee xAI’s biggest expansion yet

2

Billionaire TikTok founder is now the richest person in all of Asia, with a $105 billion net worth—he's gained $92 billion since 2019 thanks to AI

3

Current price of oil as of September 17, 2026
TechAI

Samsung Pumping Millions into Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality Startups

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 4, 2017, 6:56 PM ET
Photograph by Getty Images
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Samsung is spending big bucks on startups tackling cutting-edge technologies.

The technology giant’s startup investment arm, Samsung NEXT, said Wednesday that it created a $150 million fund that it would use to finance early-stage startups specializing in trendy tech like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and Internet-connected devices.

Some of the companies that have already received money from the new fund include Dashbot, which built user analytics tools for so-called software bots that automate tasks; Entry Point VR, a startup that makes tools for companies to more easily distribute virtual reality media across multiple devices; and LiquidSky, which makes video game streaming technology.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

“We see software and services becoming a core part of Samsung Electronics’ DNA, and startups are key to achieving this vision,” Samsung NEXT President David Eun said in a statement.

The new fund comes after Samsung (SSNLF) changed the name of its startup investment arm from the Samsung Global Innovation Center, and opened a Tel Aviv office in September.

Samsung NEXT, which has offices in San Francisco, Korea, New York, and Mountain View, Calif. will open more offices in 2017, but Samsung did not say where.

For more about Samsung, watch:

Other big technology companies have created similar investment funds to fuel technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality, which are generating a lot of interest from investors and analysts.

For example, HTC (HTC), which makes the Vive virtual reality headset, debuted a $100 million investment fund targeting virtual reality focussed startups in April.

And more recently, Microsoft said its startup investment arm, Microsoft Ventures, created an A.I. specific fund with the startup Element AI receiving an undisclosed amount of money in December. Element AI, whose co-founder Yoshua Bengio is considered a pioneer in the burgeoning field of deep learning, works with companies to incorporate various A.I. technologies for their businesses.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Tech


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.