What the head of IBM’s $500 million AI and quantum venture fund is looking for in a startup

Core Insights - IBM Ventures is a $500 million venture fund primarily focused on AI and quantum computing, having made 23 investments in various innovative companies [1] - The investment strategy emphasizes business-to-business companies that align with IBM's ecosystem [2] - IBM aims for investments that are scalable, ready for partnerships, and utilize responsible AI, boasting a collaboration rate exceeding 90% with portfolio companies [3] Investment Criteria - Investments are evaluated based on three key areas: product capabilities, ecosystem partnership potential, and industry disruption [4] - IBM actively seeks products that it can utilize internally, exemplified by its AI-driven internal HR app, AskHR [5] Operational Efficiency - The internal adoption of AI tools is projected to save IBM $4.5 billion in operating expenses this year [6] Quantum Computing Focus - IBM's current focus in quantum computing is more on software and algorithms rather than hardware, with notable investments like QEDMA, which specializes in quantum error correction [7]