Singapore – UnaBiz, Internet of Things (IoT) service provider, closes Series B at over [$50 million (€47.04 million)] in an extension round led by SPARX Group and followed by G K Goh Holdings and Optimal Investment. The new financing is reserved for existing investors.
Earlier this year, the company acquired the Sigfox 0G technology that powers the global public 0G Network and connects over 10 million sensors for 1,500+ B2B customers through 70+ national 0G operators worldwide.
After 6 months of integration, the company is ready to invest in sustainable product innovation, and strengthen its four key verticals: utilities, facilities management, supply chain & logistics, and security, across LATAM, APAC and EMEA.
Sparx Group, which also led the initial Series B supported the acquisition.
Shuhei Abe, president and CEO of SPARX Group, says “UnaBiz acquisition of the 0G technology significantly enhances and cements the group’s position as the global leader of Massive IoT. As the technology owner of the most energy-efficient LPWAN technology available on the market, UnaBiz is in a prime position to champion the convergence of Massive IoT communication technologies (from 0G to 5G) to help enterprises achieve their digitalisation and sustainability goals,”
SPARX Group is an independent investment company based in Tokyo, Japan, that manages over [$10 billion (€9.41 billion)] worth of assets. It is listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange.
“We are encouraged by the trust and confidence of our investors in this extension round despite the current economic climate,” says Henri Bong, co-founder and co-CEO of UnaBiz Group. “With their strong support and the newly energised team that consists of key executives with deep expertise in technology, operations, sales and marketing, the UnaBiz team will work closely with and through our global partners and 0G Operators around the world to drive Massive IoT.”
Founded in 2016, the company operates with sales offices in Tokyo, Paris, Madrid and Rotterdam, and has two R&D centres in Taiwan Taipei and France Labège. Post-acquisition, UnaBiz doubled its office locations and tripled in headcount. The company currently employs over 240 employees worldwide.
Goh Yew Lin, managing director, G. K. Goh Holdings, a Singapore-based investment company, says, “We are happy to increase our investment in UnaBiz as it accelerates its geographical reach following the acquisition of Sigfox. The company’s team has demonstrated focus, foresight and entrepreneurial energy, and we look forward to the next phases of its growth story.”
“Aside from the investments already planned to support business development in strategic markets, we will also use the fresh funds in research and development to further enhance the core low-power 0G capabilities as well as enable cost-effective long-range connectivity dedicated to very low-value assets. Our product portfolio will also be expanded to integrate more LPWAN and satellite technologies, ultimately providing aggregated and clean data through UnaConnect service. The proliferation of new solutions aimed at a broader market will allow our customers to enjoy economies of scale, and the freedom of choice when it comes to means of collecting data from physical assets that is what the Technology Convergence movement is about.” Philippe Chiu, co-founder and co-CEO of UnaBiz Group comments.
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