US-based workplace access technology developer Proxy has emerged from stealth with $13.6m secured in a series A round that included co-working space operator WeWork.
Venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins led the round, which also featured accelerator Y Combinator, hedge fund manager Coatue Management and unnamed industry executives. It increased Proxy’s overall funding to $16.6m, the company said.
Founded in 2016, Proxy has created a range of mobile phone-operated door access control systems that enable authorised users to enter secure locations such as commercial buildings or offices using mobile or wearable devices.
The company’s technology utilises a mobile app that transmits a customised low-power Bluetooth pulse to the door’s access fob. It is used by more than 50 companies including WeWork, which has installed Proxy’s systems in offices in New York and San Francisco.
Proxy is working on additional uses for its identification system, including automated visitor check-in, meeting room bookings, conference registration and responsive workstations. It took part in Y Combinator’s accelerator before raising $1.6m in a 2016 seed round led by Blackbird Ventures and backed by Y Combinator.