Participated · Series B · Nov 2014

Ineda Systems is a Santa Clara, California and Hyderabad, India-based developer of low-power SoCs for the wearables and Internet of Things markets. The company has launched the Dhanush family of Wearable Processor Units (WPU™), a low-power, high-performance SoC that features Hierarchical Computing to run applications at optimized power-performance states and includes an always-on sensor hub for wearable devices. Led by CEO Babu Mandava, Ineda targets the emerging wearable-technology market with its WPU. The company intends to use the new funds to further develop the Dhanush family of Wearable Processor Units. Financially, Ineda raised an additional $2M in Series B from Cisco Investments, bringing the Series B total to $19M. Investors include Cisco Investments alongside Samsung Catalyst Fund, Qualcomm Ventures and Imagination Technologies. Ineda Systems develops ultra-low-power system-on-chip (SoC) semiconductor and software products aimed at the wearables and IoT markets. Its products leverage the company's WPU technology and are designed for smartwatches, health and fitness trackers, and other wearable devices as well as broader IoT applications. The company said it will use new funding to further develop a new class of highly integrated, ultra-low-power semiconductor and software offerings for the wearable segment. Ineda was founded by industry veterans from the United States and India and emphasizes SoC/IP development, architecture and software for next-generation low-power applications. The team and board include CEO Dasaradha Gude and chairman Sanjay Jha, with external board members Lip-Bu Tan and Krishna Yarlagadda. Imagination Technologies is a strategic investor and supplier of IP cores used in Ineda’s products, and the company has offices in Santa Clara, California and Hyderabad, India and has applied for a trademark on its WPU technology.

Participated · Equity · Jun 2010

AudioBoo is a London-based web and mobile platform that enables users to record, share and save audio files. The platform launched in March 2009 as a free downloadable application for the iPhone and is also available on the Android platform. The company offers web and mobile apps for creating and distributing audio content. In June 2010 AudioBoo raised £580k from a syndicate of four London-based business angels, UBC Media Group and Imagination Technologies. The new funding will be used to add key professionals and to expand into the international radio market. The lead angel from the syndicate, Don Cruickshank, joined AudioBoo’s board as Chairman. Audioboo offers an iPhone app that lets users record audio and upload short, shareable clips—positioned as a "Twitter for audio." The app is used by media brands including The Guardian, Channel 4 News, the BBC, TechCrunch Europe, The Telegraph and PaidContent, and Audioboo has sold a Pro version to The Royal Opera House. The Pro app adds features for professionals, such as the ability to queue uploads. The company is targeting consumers and media brands (contrasted in the article with iPadio, which targets internal corporate communications). Management plans to use the current PR and funding momentum to pursue additional fundraising in the U.S. The article reports further undisclosed investment activity but gives no revenue or user metrics. AudioBoo lets users record, tag and upload short audio clips from an iPhone and view them on a map by location or tag. The service pairs a mobile app with a web-based audio rendering platform that can slice, dice and track uploads. Best Before Media, a London-based developer, plans an ad-sponsored free consumer tier and a premium service for corporate users such as tourist authorities, museums and news organisations. The team has opened a beta (97 tokens remaining) and counts early adopters including Stephen Fry. Best Before has submitted the app to the App Store and aims for an official launch at SXSW Interactive in March. Channel 4’s innovation fund 4iP has financed the next stage of development (amount undisclosed).