There are some familiar names on our list of hot young companies, as well as some lesser-known mobile companies. These startups, most of which are two years old or younger, cover a diverse array of wireless markets, from wireless LANs to emerging markets like sensor networks and mobile storage.
Enterprise WiFiXirrus Inc.
Westlake Village, Calif.
Founded: 2003
Primary Product: A high-capacity, multi-radio WiFi box that can provide up to 1.2 Gbit/s of bandwidth to cover offices and other spaces
Funding: Largely self-funded, Xirrus took on an undisclosed amount of VC in January.
Xirrus Inc. is one of the few startups left in the enterprise WiFi space that is trying to do something outside the standard AP and controller model with a single wireless LAN box intended to provide wide-scale coverage for users.
Fixed/Mobile ConvergenceDiVitas Networks Inc.
Mountain View, Calif.
Founded: April 2005
Primary Product: Fixed/mobile management systems
Funding: $23 million
DiVitas Networks Inc. is focusing its attention on delivering control of fixed/mobile convergence to the enterprise user rather than the carrier. The firm has already established an impressive array of partners with Symbol Technologies Inc. (NYSE: SBL) and -- supposedly -- Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK) working with the startup.
Mobile EmailZimbra Inc.
San Mateo, Calif.
Founded: Late 2003
Primary Product: An open-source mobile messaging package that works with some of the latest smartphones -- such as the Motorola Q -- as well as established email devices like the RIM BlackBerry
Funding: $16 million
Zimbra Inc. is betting that open source will be the new wave in mobile email in 2007 and beyond.
Mesh Networking Meraki Networks Inc.
Mountain View, Calif.
Founded: April 2006
Primary Product: WiFi mesh gear
Funding: Undisclosed amount from Google and Silicon Valley angel investors, likely under $5 million
Initially spun off from the RoofNet group at MIT "with the hopes of bringing free or low-cost Internet access to people around the world," Meraki Networks Inc. made headlines late this year with its work with Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) to improve indoor WiFi mesh coverage at the search giant's municipal WiFi testbed in Mountain View.
Mobile Security Network Chemistry Inc.
Menlo Park, Calif.
Founded: 2002
Primary Product: IDS and mobile security software for WiFi and Bluetooth networks
Funding: $25 million
Intrusion detection firm Network Chemistry Inc. is one of a select number of tech firms that can claim to be backed by the CIA. The investment arm of the U.S. agency contributed toward the startup's $6 million first round in funding.
Wireless Chips Sequans Communications
Paris, France
Founded: September 2003
Primary Product: One of the first system-on-chip mobile WiMax chipsets
Funding: $35 million, plus an undisclosed investment from Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT)
Sequans Communications focuses on the smaller end of the mobile WiMax chip market developing silicon for mobile WiMax in handsets, base stations, and customer premise equipment.
RFID Reva Systems Corp.
Chelmsford, Mass.
Founded: 2004
Primary Product: Tag acquisition network architecture and processor systems
Funding: $10 million
Reva Systems Corp. is trying to do for standalone RFID readers what the wireless LAN switch startups have started to achieve in the WiFi market -- prove that these devices can be centrally managed.
Mobile StorageRingCube Technologies Inc.
Mountain View, Calif.
Founded: 2004
Primary Product: Software that can be downloaded to a USB drive and used to secure files so they can be safely viewed on any desktop
Funding: $4 million
RingCube Technologies Inc. promises to allow the user to access corporate office files securely at any time simply by inserting the USB drive into a workstation.
Mobile Payments Paymate
Mumbai, India
Founded: 2006
Primary Product: A system that enables mobile payments via phone text messages (SMS)
Funding: $5 million-plus
Paymate is hoping that the subcontinent will be the next boom market for mobile payments.
Sensor Networks Tendril Networks Inc.
Boulder, Colo.
Founded: 2004
Primary Product: Technology that can find and manage sensors on automated wireless control networks
Funding: $6 million-plus
Wireless Sensor and Control Networks (WSCN) startup Tendril Networks is working on Zigbee short-range wireless systems to make it easier to wirelessly control automated tasks such as regulating the temperature of a warehouse and other applications that require constant monitoring.
Wireless in the Home Ruckus Wireless Inc.
Sunnyvale, Calif.
Founded: June 2004 as Video54
Primary Product: Proprietary MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) antenna boxes to speed up video streaming over 802.11g for carrier partners
Funding: $30 million
2007 will be an interesting year for Ruckus Wireless Inc. as 802.11n technology becomes commercialized, which could help speed the spread of high-speed residential WiFi multimedia streaming networks.
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