Smart Antenna Technologies, a Birmingham University spinout developing a single antenna to replace several independent antennas in smartphones, has raised £1.5m ($2.3m) in a round backed by Mercia Technologies.
Mercia itself provided £1.2m of the total, with additional support from unnamed investors. Mercia invested previously in Smart Antenna through its subsidiary Mercia Fund Management in a seed round for an unspecified sum.
Smart Antenna is hoping to reduce the costs of antennas in smartphones by combining all the antennas found in a smartphone into a single piece of tech.
Sampson Hu, founder of Smart Antenna Technologies, said: “Our patented technology provides one powerful, multi-functional antenna system, with the potential to reduce production costs by up to 50% whilst potentially increasing the battery life of the device. Mercia’s support has been invaluable since the business was launched in 2013, and we look forward to continuing a rewarding and productive relationship with the Mercia team, as we enter the next phase of our growth story.”
