Intel Capital no longer working with Developer Zone

Intel has announced that it is severing ties between its Developer Zone and venture capital arm Intel Capital, ceasing its business plan forwarding and fast-track benefit.

Intel Capital is the investment arm of the semiconductor giant, responsible for buying stakes in companies that may prove useful to Intel as a whole in the future - or ones that just look like making the company a tidy profit. The company invests millions of dollars each year, and tracking its spending often provides a glimpse into Intel's vision of the future: last year's investments included cloud computing companies, Bluetooth specialists, a software defined radio company and a start-up specialising in touch-screen display digital signal processors (DSPs) - a clear hint at the company's renewed focus on mobile products, which it has been pushing heavily this year.

The Intel Developer Zone, meanwhile, offers independent software vendors assistance in planning, developing and marketing their products - providing, of course, they're built with a focus on Intel's software and hardware platforms.

Previously, the Intel Developer Zone has been used as a feeder for Intel Capital: under a programme dubbed the Intel Capital Benefit, partners in the Developer Zone have been able to fast-track their applications for investment consideration and have review guaranteed - a handy incentive, and one that could make the difference between success and failure when looking for investment.

Sadly, that programme is no more. 'The Intel Developer Zone is currently in a period of assessing and aligning its business priorities in an effort to continue delivering world-class software services,' claimed Intel's Eliana Penzner in a terse update to the Developer Zone blog. 'Consequently, it was decided to end-of-life the Intel Capital benefit. At this time, we are no longer accepting or forwarding business plans from our Partners for review with Intel Capital.'

While Penzner was quick to point out that Intel Capital remains open to applications from all, regardless of Developer Zone membership, the move will likely come as a blow for those who had joined the programme in the hopes of getting their pet project in front of the holders of the purse-strings at Intel Capital without having to fight their way through every other investment-hungry start-up in the world first.