MediaTek has set up a $300 million investment venture that will initially look to fund startups in greater China, Japan, Europe and North America.

MediaTek CFO David Ku told Mobile World Live that the aim of the fund is to extend its reach to the broader electronics value-chain, covering everything from semiconductors and devices to the internet infrastructure and IoT sectors.

Headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, MediaTek Ventures has been allocated $300 million to invest in startups over the next three to four years. Ku said that its investments would cover all stages of funding and could increase “if it identifies promising entrepreneurs”.

Last March, the company set up MediaTek Labs to expand its reach to the developer community.

The chipmaker also introduced a supply-chain partner programme at Mobile World Congress that will help developers of wearables and IoT devices design and introduce products by matching them with members of MediaTek’s network of partners.

“Taking any wearable or IoT project beyond the prototype stage can be a daunting prospect, whether you’re a small startup or an established company making its first foray into new devices,” said Marc Naddell, VP of MediaTek Labs. “To make the path to market easier, MediaTek Labs Partner Connect will help companies find the partners they need to make an idea a reality”.

Partner Connect provides registered developers of MediaTek Labs with matchmaking services to enable them to find appropriate supply-chain partners to support design, development and manufacturing, as well as source MediaTek chipset modules and other key components.

The company also said it has started mass production of what it claims is the industry’s first multimode charging ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) for use in mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and wearables.

MediaTek said the reference design of the MT3188, which includes the power electronics, supervisory circuit and resonator, has already been certified by the A4WP, WPC and PMA standards groups.

“MediaTek offers a path to speed up the wireless charger market development,” said Jerry Chi, president of Billion Digital Technology, better known under the Kupiin brand.

“Global standards are the reason the wireless charger market will ramp up, but the endless standards battle currently slows the growth, and there is no sign these standards will be unified. MediaTek really sees the problem and has provided the solution to jump the hurdle,” Chi said.