Blu Wireless awarded £1m from the West of England Growth Fund
A silicon intellectual property (IP) company developing low cost, gigabit wireless communications technology, the company is focused on emerging WiGig and 4G technology. This includes the 60 GHz ‘WiGig’ addition to the WiFi family, which will enable large video files to be transferred onto mobile phones at up to 7 Gbps or 20 times faster than existing WiFi; as well as the creation of high-speed wireless links for the latest 4G mobile networks based around small cells. These low cost small cells will be mounted on street furniture such as signs and street lamps.
Further, Blu Wireless is already starting work on applying their uniquely flexible technology to the emerging 5G telecommunications standard.
Based in Bristol due to the world-beating expertise in wireless communications and semiconductor design in the area, the company has grown from a team of 7 at the beginning of 2013 to 17 and anticipates that by the end of 2014 it will have around 30 staff.
Henry Nurser, Blu Wireless Technology’s CEO, said: “This grant from West of England Growth Fund, combined with the almost £2.4M we have raised from private investors over the last year, will allow us to complete the development of our prototype design by the end of 2014. Blu Wireless Technology already has a strong working relationship with the University of Bristol and these funds will ensure that these links are further strengthened. All feedback on our technology from the multiple international companies we have been in discussion with has shown us that we have an opportunity to become leaders in these exciting new markets.”
Paul Wilson, chief executive of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “This is the single largest amount we’ve awarded from the £25 million pot and it’s exactly the type of project we want to support. Through this fund we have already injected around £14m into the local economy, which has attracted more than £41 million private sector investment, creating or safeguarding over 1,500 jobs.”
www.bluwirelesstechnology.com
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