Communications equipment provider Motorola Solutions has participated in an $18.3m round for US-based voice communication software developer Orion Labs that was led by private equity firm Allen & Company.
The round also featured fund manager Argentum, investment vehicle Thermo Companies, venture capital firms Avalon Ventures and Fuel Capital, and angel investors including, David Recordon and James Lindenbaum.
Originally known as OnBeep, Orion has created an online platform that allows users to communicate with each other in real time. It will use the funding to grow its sales and partnerships while rolling out new features such as a real-time translation tool.
Jesse Robbins, founder and chief executive of Orion Labs, said: “English and Spanish translation is one of the most frequently-requested services from our customers and we are excited to make it available today.
“This is just the beginning. We will soon add many new languages, integrations, and entirely new capabilities for our customers. Our vision is based in the belief that connecting people and teams with these new capabilities gives teams superpowers. We hope many people will try our translation bot preview and see the potential for themselves.”
Orion raised $6.25m in a 2014 series A round featuring Avalon Ventures and assorted angel investors before adding $9m in series B funding from Avalon and Motorola Solutions’ corporate venturing arm, Motorola Solutions Venture Capital, in February 2016.