Chicago-based Hologram last week launched its cellular platform for the Internet of Things (IoT), a platform that it says, unlike legacy cellular solutions, is built specifically for developing and deploying IoT products.
Formerly known as Konekt, Hologram says it enables developers and companies of any size and level of sophistication to build cellular-connected devices without the hassle and expense of custom engineering cellular infrastructure. The company said it has raised $4.8 million in funding, led by Drive Capital, to grow its team and scale the network.
"Currently, building a cellular connected device is a lot like setting up a website in 1998 when you had to buy server equipment and run it in your closet. Teams are spending a disproportionate amount of time rolling their own infrastructure when they should be focused on their core product; Hologram is changing this with a cellular platform that handles the infrastructure for you," said Ben Forgan, CEO of Hologram, in a press release. "With the investment from Drive Capital we can accelerate our growth to continue to build new features and products to support our expanding base of customers, both big and small."
The company says its platform provides an essential service by lowering the cost of prototyping and deploying a new cellular product, allowing businesses to be more agile with their IoT strategy; they will no longer need to devote large chunks of engineering time to developing a prototype or deploying a new product.
Hologram says it already has tens of thousands of devices around the world using its cellular network and thousands of customers building on its platform, including enterprises, small businesses and startups. "Our mission is bring the Internet Everywhere, so you can easily get your device data back to the web and make it useful for your business or personal projects," the company says.
For more:
- see this press release
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