US-based smartphone manufacturer Nextbit has received an undisclosed sum from Dentsu Ventures, the corporate venturing subsidiary of advertising firm Dentsu, The Bridge reported earlier today.
Founded in 2013, Nextbit has developed an Android-based smartphone, dubbed Robin, that automatically uploads unused files to the cloud, ensuring a user never runs out of local storage.
Dentsu’s committment follows Nextbit’s launch of a crowdfunding campaign earlier this month for which it sought $500,000 and which has already brought in nearly $1m with two weeks to go.
Google Ventures, the investment vehicle of internet company Google, and venture capital firm Accel Partners invested $18m in series A funding in January 2014, when Nextbit was still in stealth mode.