Blog

Jan 23, 2025

Qualcomm Ventures’ 2024 Year in Review

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2024 brought rapid progress in AI, accelerating growth across automotive, IoT, and cloud computing. As these sectors pushed ahead, we doubled down on uncovering new opportunities while supporting our global portfolio to scale.

This year, we welcomed 15 companies to the portfolio.

These new investments share a common thread: leveraging AI to reshape industries and empower on-device capabilities that deliver more efficient, reliable, and secure experiences. Qualcomm firmly believes that on-device AI will help power generative AI to scale, fueling a more capable, cost-efficient, reliable, secure and promising path forward.

Key Achievements and Trends

Generative AI went mainstream in 2024, transforming how industries design, manufacture, heal, and serve customers. The rise of these models rests on three pillars: foundational models, computing power, and data. We invested in leading start-ups in each area:

  • Anthropic: a leader in building safe, reliable foundational models,
  • Cerebras: a provider of wafer-scale processors that power faster training and inference, and
  • Scale AI: a data infrastructure provider that drives high-performance LLMs in enterprise settings.

Competition to refine large language models intensified this year, with top players emerging around scaling laws. Enterprises also ramped up the adoption of generative AI, driven by clear and measurable returns. We invested in Cresta which provides an end-to-end generative AI platform built for contact centers.

We saw the increased adoption of Edge AI in various verticals including manufacturing, fleet management, security and retail. We invested in several enterprise applications:

  • ANYbotics: a global leader in AI-driven robotic inspection solutions,
  • Netradyne: AI-powered fleet and driver safety solutions,
  • Spot AI: a provider of AI-powered camera systems that improve security and operations, and
  • Wiseasy: a provider of smart POS terminals.

This surge in generative AI puts a high workload on networks and infrastructure. Generative AI workloads need higher speeds, greater computational power, and robust security. We see flexible, open-source-based cloud and networking solutions as the key to delivering both scale and cost efficiency. We backed companies that embrace openness, reliability, and performance, setting the stage for a more capable AI ecosystem in the years to come. Our infrastructure investments included:

  • Aviz Networks: a vendor-agnostic, ethernet switching platform,
  • Eclypsium: a firmware supply chain security platform, and
  • LambdaTest: a provider of AI native no-code automated test orchestration and end-to-end test execution platform.

We hosted several events connecting with startup communities globally and fostering the exchange of insights between startups and Qualcomm. We held our 15th CEO Summit, AI Startup Showcase, and a Robotics event in Munich. These events led to numerous collaborations between Qualcomm and startups.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, we believe generative AI will serve as the new user interface for the computing devices around us. This evolution toward on-device AI will not only make generative AI more accessible but also enhance immediacy, reliability, personalization and privacy.

Our mission in 2025 remains steadfast: to help founders scale their businesses by providing unparalleled access to Qualcomm’s cutting-edge technology, deep tech insights, and extensive global network. We’re excited for the innovations that 2025 will usher in and remain focused on driving Qualcomm’s overarching strategy of enabling intelligent computing everywhere, fostering innovation, and empowering the next generation of technology leaders.