Keyssa, a spin-out of University of California Los Angeles, has emerged from stealth mode with next-gen computer components and $47m in its pocket.
The US-based firm’s technology offers a new form of computer connector, dubbed ‘kiss connectivity’. Keyssa’s technology works by placing two connectors within close proximity where they “kiss” and exchange large volumes of data, reaching speeds of up to six gigabits per second – capable of downloading a 1 GB file in two seconds.
Backers of Keyssa include Intel’s venture arm Intel Capital, Samsung Strategy and Innovation Centre, Alsop Louie Partners, and semiconductor firm Nantworks.
The company was originally founded as Waveconnex in 2009, and has since changed name while developing its technology, raising capital, and forming partnerships. It has also filed for 100 patents while in stealth mode.
Eric Almgren, Keyssa’s CEO, said: “Connectors are a $50-plus billion industry that – unlike almost every other aspect of mobile and computer hardware design – has remained undisrupted for decades. We reinvented the connector and designed a new category of contactless connectivity that’s elegant, power-efficient, and can meet the exponentially-growing demands of consumers for creating and consuming rich media. You can kiss old connectors goodbye – and say hello to a better way to move rich media across any device: instantly, securely and simply.”
