While most associate the Porsche brand with building legendary sports cars such as the 911 Turbo, the company puts just as much effort into forging new partnerships and building a better future for itself. This is evidenced by the Zuffenhausen-based firm's commitment to Rimac. Already a shareholder in the Croatian company, Porsche doubled down by recently investing an eight-figure sum into the technology business.

Now, the sports car maker has announced a new collaboration with UP .Labs, an American-based "Venture Lab" that aims to grow innovative startups. The agreement will see the pair work together to develop six companies with business models centering around mobility. Porsche has invested an amount in the "double-digit millions" making it the minority owner of these startups.

The startups will focus on Porsche's core activities - areas such as digital retail, predictive maintenance, and supply chain transparency, for example. This isn't some future plan, either, as two of the startups are expected to be founded before the end of the year.

For more than five years, Stuttgart's much-loved automaker has been seeking out interesting stakes in tech-based startups. "Through UP .Labs, Porsche secures access to international talents and their know-how. The aim is to further enhance Porsche's position in the current transformation phase of the automotive industry in the long term. Above all, we strive for new sources of innovation," said the company's Lutz Meschke.

This could mean great things for Porsche aficionados. Technology that's being developed today could be seen first in one of the brand's many offerings.

With the businesses centered around Porsche itself, the company will have the option to purchase and integrate the startups in the next three years. "The concept combines the advantages of free startup development on the market - for example, through the participation of all employees in the company's success - with the direct involvement of our employees and a close link to Porsche," explains Meschke.

The German automaker would be a great partner for any startup, a sentiment echoed by Ben Marcus, UP .Partners Co-Founder & Managing Partner. "The mobility world is experiencing [a] rapid digital transformation, and the big brands we trust most need help to innovate quickly and efficiently to meet emerging consumer demands."

Porsche hasn't said what will blossom from these new partnerships, but the brand has always prided itself on being innovative and bringing new technology to the sector. Its work with synthetic fuels is proof of this.