Ruckus Wireless, a Motorola-backed, US-based wireless internet hardware developer, closed a series G funding round on Thursday, raising $21.7m from a syndicate co-led by Singapore Telecom’s corporate venturing unit.
Alongside SingTel Innov8 as co-lead was venture capital firm Meritech Capital Partners.
Investors in the round were generally undisclosed but included venture capital (VC) firm Sequoia Ventures, a long term existing investor.
The funding takes Ruckus’ overall financing to about $82m since its founding in 2002 as Video54 Technologies, although the company said it had raised $72.7m since 2004 as Ruckus.
Backers include telecom corporation Motorola’s corporate venturing fund Motorola Ventures, telecom corporation Telus, through Telus Ventures, and telecommunications corporation Deutsche Telekom’s internet service provider division, T-Online, through its T-Online Venture Fund venture subsidiary.
Additional backers include investment firm Investor AB, VC firms Sutter Hill Ventures, WK Technology Fund and Focus Ventures, and investment fund Firelake Capital.
Jeff Karras, managing director of Investments for SingTel Innov8, said:
”We invest in companies with technologies that can potentially enhance the capabilities of the operators within the SingTel Group by delivering solutions across various product segments and verticals.
“Ruckus is one of these companies and with the changes in the carrier market, we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead of them.”
Ruckus concentrates its ‘smart’ wireless internet networking products on the business rather than home user end. The product range spans both indoor and outdoor equipment, and the firm has patented technology that effectively steers wi-fi signals around obstacles and interference.
Ruckus’ systems are used in a range of facilities including hospitals, airports, hotels, educational establishments, and arenas and convention centres.