Intel, the chips maker that has fallen behind rivals AMD and Nvidia, is separating its venture capital arm into a stand-alone fund. It’s a small step, but shows the company is ready to shake things up under new management.

Intel says that it plans to spin off its corporate venture arm, Intel Capital, into a standalone fund, with Intel as an "anchor investor."

Intel announced plans to separate its VC arm into a standalone fund, giving it more autonomy and ability to attract external capital.

Intel’s interim co-chief executive, David Zinsner, said spinning off its venture arm was a “win-win scenario as it provides the fund with access to new sources of capital to expand its franchise while allowing both companies to continue benefiting from a productive long-term strategic partnership”.

The chip maker said it will remain an investor in Intel Capital, founded in 1991 with over $5 billion in assets under management.

Intel Corp. said today that its venture capital arm Intel Capital is being spun off into an independent entity, the latest move in a series of structural changes it’s making as

Intel Capital was set up 24 years ago. It has raised $5 billion and invested in over 1,800 early-stage companies in cloud computing, semiconductors, and end-user devices. The spin-off could cause shocks at portfolio companies, where Intel Capital is an anchor investor and has representatives on the companies’ boards of directors.

Intel Corp., the once-dominant chipmaker struggling to revive its business and finances, plans to turn its venture capital arm into a separate fund with a new name.