The status of the largest automaker in the world is not given to Toyota Motor so easily, it has to be regularly confirmed in the fight against Volkswagen. The industry is on the cusp of a major transformation, so Toyota is trying to invest in areas where it can reap the benefits of innovation in the near future. Artificial intelligence and robotics are among the priority areas.

According to Reuters, the $ 200 million Toyota AI Ventures has already invested in 36 young companies that are developing in various fields, from autopilot and industrial automation to the creation of aircraft. In the field of robotics, Toyota is pursuing the goal of increasing the degree of automation in production and moving to the use of cloud systems that allow industrial robots to share their acquired skills.

The Toyota Venture Fund has a fair degree of independence in investment decisions. The fund sits on the border between Toyota’s corporate structure and the outside world, drawing the best ideas from it, its chief said. This year Toyota launched another fund, Woven Capital, which will have at least $ 800 million at its disposal. The priority investment in this case will be the development of the ecosystem of autonomous vehicles.