Cohere Technologies, a US-based developer of wireless connectivity technology that could lay the groundwork for future 5G mobile phone networks, secured $35m today in a series C round featuring telecommunications company Telstra.
New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Lightspeed Ventures, Macquarie Capital and AME Cloud Ventures also participated in the round.
Cohere has developed technology dubbed orthogonal time frequency and space (OTFS) to address issues of capacity, coverage and cost related to wireless networks. OTFS has potential applications for future mobile phone network technology 5G.
The funding will enable the company to accelerate the progression of OTFS to market. To this end, Telstra will also begin trials to integrate the technology into its own network.
Mike Wright, managing director of networks for Telstra, said: “We are excited to be starting this new relationship with Cohere and the opportunity to benefit from their new OTFS modulation.
“We already have strong backhaul and access networks and anticipate that by working with Cohere we can improve this further as we move into a highly connected future and a 5G world.”
Cohere previously raised $2m in a 2011 series A round from Lightspeed and $15m in a 2013 series B funded by NEA and Lightspeed.