US-based business texting service Zipwhip completed a $9m series B round on Monday that included Microsoft Ventures, the investment subsidiary of software producer Microsoft, and telecom technology suppliers GCI and Inteliquent.
Venture capital firm Voyager Capital led the round, which follows $5m in funding from undisclosed backers in January 2015. Real estate and private equity firm Lakewest is an earlier investor.
Zipwhip provides software that use the cloud to facilitate the sending of text messages from any landline or other non-mobile phone number. It has also built a carrier-grade cloud texting platform for mobile and landline operators.
Brett Scorza, Inteliquent’s chief information officer, said: “We recognise the significant impact that Zipwhip is making on our industry, and we could not pass up an opportunity to serve as a strategic partner in this round of financing.
“This investment expands on our long-standing relationship with Zipwhip, and enables both of our companies to take advantage of joint sales opportunities for a solution that addresses our business customers’ needs to be more efficient and increase competitiveness.”