In 2016, Bill Gates led another Kymeta investment round, which raised $62 million.
Kymeta, a satellite technology company based in Redmond, Washington, received $85.2 million in an investment round led by Bill Gates.
- Kymeta is developing antenna technology that will provide cell and internet service to moving vehicles.
- Doug Hutcheson, CEO of Kymeta, spoke about the support of the technology pioneer.
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Investments will help Kymeta develop antenna technology to provide vehicles with greater connectivity.
Kymeta Antenna technology
If you ever have a long, rural road trip and want WiFi in your car, your dreams will come true. Kymeta is currently developing antenna technology that will provide cell and internet service to moving vehicles.
But the device is not like the traditional car antenna. The new gadget is a flat panel that can be attached to the exterior of a car. Kymeta began beta testing this week, using their current model, in the form of an octagonal panel.
In the initial release, Kymeta will market mainly to the military, first responders and businesses. But the product is especially useful for long-distance deliveries and exports. It may take some time for it to reach the average consumer.
Bill Gates’ support
Bill Gates has been a fan of Kymeta for some time. In 2012, software developers and philanthropists participated in Kymeta’s first investment round.
In 2016, Bill Gates led another Kymeta investment round, which raised $62 million. This week, Gates headed for a new round, which raised another $85.2 million.
Although that amount is enormous, of which $78.5 million is a personal investment that came directly from Gates, proving that he is a fan of emerging technology.
Naturally, positive emotions are mutually exclusive. Doug Hutcheson, CEO of Kymeta, spoke about the support of the technology pioneer,
“Having the continued support of Bill Gates is an experience that will enable us to implement our vision more quickly and broadly, with the benefit of the experience, perspective and relationships of a leading and highly successful technical supporter.”
Technology of tomorrow
In recent years, satellite communication technology has become an attractive field. And Bill Gates is not just a tech entrepreneur.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk has unveiled a project called “Starlink”, which seeks to create a low-orbit galaxy of satellites. The mega-galaxy will contain 12,000 satellites, enough to orbit the planet. This will allow for a global, global connection – no matter how rural your neighbourhood is.
Also, Amazon has launched its initiative, Project Kuiper. Just last month, the company stepped forward from the FCC to launch its satellites. But Starlink has dwarfed Amazon’s 3,236 satellite galaxies.
But while Kymeta has less name recognition than its competitors, it is one of the few experts and specialists in the field. Even the name Bill Gates carries some weight.
