KYOTO -- Japanese chipmaker Rohm has launched a 5 billion yen ($45.3 million) venture capital fund to invest in next-generation semiconductor technology that can propel growth in the decades to come. As a first step, Rohm's fund invested 300 million yen in U.S. startup Locix, which provides spatial intelligence solutions for warehouses and factories. Rohm believes its technology can help expand sales channels for semiconductors. This is Rohm's first foray into venture capital. It plans to invest in startups in Japan and overseas that hold new chip-related technologies or provide chip-driven products and services, as well as those in new business fields like decarbonization.