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March 01, 2006
Hamburg startup = Broadband Internet + Alphabet Soup – Wires
Business angels are backing a new wireless hardware startup in Hamburg, 4G Systems. The German company develops and sells boxes and PC cards targeted at broadband Internet users (home office and small office) that want to access the Net via the latest high speed wireless networks being rolled out by Europe's mobile network operators.
This box has everything, even an alarm clock.
We're talking about the one that goes by the typically telco user-un-friendy name of HSDPA. In the US, Cingular Wireless launched it in 16 cities in December. In Europe several telcos, T-Mobile and O2 are each rolling it out in several countries.
We're aware of HSDPA because it is a market targeted by yet another European startup that the a:c euro has been tracking for some time, Icera Semiconductor.
Enough background. 4G's most intriguing product (shown above) is one that supports not only HSDPA but a veritable alphabet soup of wireless services available today (UMTS, GPRS, Edge plus WLAN), plus it can route voice calls. It is meant for Internet users that don't have xDSL or cable access in their region. It can also be used for building an impromptu wireless Internet access point.
With a product line like that 4G Systems can sell to consumers looking to route themselves around the fixed networks (the ones that own the so-called last mile) and the incumbent telcos. The firm says its first supplier contract is with T-Mobile.
4G Systems is hiring too. Jobs are open for a quality control expert (ISO 9000/9001 ), networking engineers, and C+ developers.
According to Swiss corporate finance boutique BrainsToVenture, which is in tight with angel investors in Germany and Switzerland, the startup raised an undisclosed amount in January.
Posted on March 1, 2006 07:48 AM | Posted to Venture Capital | Wireless | Permalink
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