PureLifi lights up $18m

PureLifi, a UK-based lifi communications adapter developer spun out of University of Edinburgh, completed an $18m series B round yesterday backed by Singaporean state-owned investment firm Temasek and government-owned Scottish Investment Bank.
Founded in 2012, PureLifi develops and markets wireless networking components which rely on LED light bulbs rather than radio signals, employing a photodetector and signal processor to convert the information into transferrable data.
Lifi hypothetically provides 1,000 times more bandwidth than conventional wifi, making it technically better suited to advanced IT applications such as 5G, the internet of things and virtual reality.
The series B cash is set to fund further product development technology, including the design of physical dimensions for mobile devices.
The company is liaising on potential Lifi applications with laptop, tablet and mobile producers. Its partners include telecoms firm Telefónica, tablet and PC maker Getac and LED light product supplier Zumtobel.
PureLifi was co-founded by its chief scientific officer Harald Haas, professor of mobile communications at University of Edinburgh, and its chief technology officer Mostafa Afgania, a former research fellow at the university who worked on the proof-of-concept for PureLifi’s system.
University of Edinburgh’s venture arm, Old College Capital, backed a $2.3m round for PureLifi in 2014 that was led by angel group London and Scottish Investment Partners and also featured Scottish Investment Bank, before Temasek led a $9.2m round also billed as series B in mid-2016 for which other participants were not disclosed.
Alistair Banham, chief executive of PureLifi, said: “Device manufacturers are looking for new ways to provide devices with faster, more reliable and secure connectivity. Lifi is the natural next step in the evolution of global wireless communications and PureLifi is leading the way to provide this technology to the market.”
– Image courtesy of PureLifi