Intel diversity fund expands to veteran, LGBTQ and disabled founders

Intel has been an industry leader when it comes to diversity initiatives – both internally and through its investment arm. Last year, Intel Capital announced a $125 million Diversity Fund aimed at boosting women- and minority-led startups. This year, the chipmaker is broadening the fund's scope to include LGBTQ founders, veterans and entrepreneurs living with disabilities. Importantly, Intel added that more than 60 percent of the new startups in it's Education Accelerator program are led by women and minorities.

According to Intel, the fund led by Trina Van Pelt and Christine Herron is "the largest of its kind by a significant margin" and it provides access to the company's business development programs and extensive technology expertise in addition to the capital itself. Staying true to the company's goal of promoting diversity both inside and out, Intel Capital has also directed all of its investors to not only seek out startups with diverse teams, but also to encourage more inclusive hiring practices in their existing portfolio companies.

Update: An earlier version of this post stated Intel Capital would be making another $125 million investment to the Diversity Fund. While the group is broadening the scope of its investments, the total investment remains the same. The post has been updated to reflect this information.