Singapore-based Bubble Motion with its headquarters in California has raised $10m from a consortium led by SingTel Innov8, local phone operator SingTel Group’s corporate venturing fund, to expand its voice-based social communications service.
Infocomm Investments, a $200m wholly-owned subsidiary of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, also invested in the Bubble alongside venture capital firms Sequoia Capital, Palomar Ventures and NGC.
Since Bubble Motion launched Bubbly, its voice-based social messaging service, a year ago, it has gained more than seven million users across four countries (India, Indonesia, Japan and Philippines) and delivered more than 250 million messages through its service.
Bubble Motion is working with several associates within the SingTel Group, including Bharti Airtel in India, Telkomsel in Indonesia, and Globe in the Philippines.
Yvonne Kwek, chief executive (CEO) of SingTel Innov8, which manages $150m after its launch last year, said: "We have been impressed with the strong growth of the Bubbly service across Asia."
Kuo-Yi Lim, CEO of Infocomm Investments, added: "Bubble Motion is yet another tech start-up leveraging Singapore’s position as a base for technology innovation and to address the fast-growing Asian market."
In July, Bubble raised $6m from Palomar, Sequoia and Comcast Interactive Capital, the corporate venturing unit of US-based cable company Comcast, having closed its series B round at $14m in March 2008. Sequoia had first invested $10m in September 2006.