Celona, a private wireless company that specializes in 5G local area network (LAN) systems for enterprises, closed a $60 million funding round today. The funds will be used to accelerate Celona’s global expansion as well as for research and development for its private 5G networks.
Digital Bridge led the funding round, raising Celona’s total funding up to $100 million. Other investors included Qualcomm Ventures, e-commerce company Lightspeed and Norwest Venture Partners.
Rajeev Shah, co-founder and CEO of Celona, said 5G wireless technology is “creating a completely new model for building enterprise networks.”
"With a first-mover advantage, a great team with demonstrable execution history, and world-renowned investors that share our vision, Celona is uniquely positioned to define and drive the future of private cellular networking," he said.
Since Celona launched its fully integrated 5G LAN platform in November 2020, it has used Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum to help organizations deploy and operate 5G infrastructure. Celona’s customer base includes enterprises such as Purdue Research Foundation, MIT and Walmart.
Celona’s edgeless enterprise model offers cloud-native networking supported by software defined networking, automated policy and 5G microservices. The company’s 5G network also features embedded subscriber identity modules (eSIMs), which permit network operators to remotely update enterprise devices.
Verizon Business announced earlier this month it would partner with Celona to offer a new turn-key private networking product for all business sizes. The turn-key offering will be usable on CBRS spectrum and incorporate Celona’s eSIM capabilities and micro-slicing technology.
Celona also teamed up with IT solutions provider STEP CG in December to help deploy private networks to venues with typically congested wireless networks, such as sports stadiums and airports.
"Celona has brought to the private 5G market a category-defining solution that we believe will reshape the future of enterprise networking,” said Marc Ganzi, president and CEO of Digital Bridge. "The company's products and technology are poised to have a transformative impact on the entire industry.”