Nvidia, whose revenues ducked into the crapper last quarter and who's got myriad other problems too, has effectively put an ad in the paper looking for a handful of promising early-stage start-ups that will grow the GPS platform that it sees as a parallel processor and increase its market share.

It's set up a GPU Ventures Program to "identify, support and invest" in outfits that are leveraging the GPU for all sorts of computing applications, promising financial, marketing, joint development and distribution aid.

Minority investments are expected to range from $500,000 to $5 million.

It also wants "interested entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and others to reach out to us with their ideas."

It's got a GPU Venture Zone web site to showcase the GPU applications being developed by its ecosystem partners. There will also be an Nvidia-hosted Emerging Companies Summit this fall.

Nvidia put money in Elemental Technologies, Acceleware, Keyhole Corporation (acquired by Google for Google Earth), Mental Images (acquired by Nvidia), MotionDSP and Right Hemisphere.

E-mail gpuventures@nvidia.com for more information and see www.nvidia.com/gpuventures.