Wireless communications start-up pureLiFi is targeting a global roll out of its technology after securing £10m from the Scottish National Investment Bank.
The Edinburgh-based firm uses light to transmit data, rather than conventional radio frequency systems such as WiFi and 5G.
The investment aligns with the bank’s mission to invest in innovation and industries of the future, creating high value jobs.
Alistair Banham, chief executive at pureLiFi, said: “The bank’s investment will help us achieve our vision to connect everyone and everything with LiFi.
“We introduced our technology to the world from Scotland and it is important for us to grow our company and ecosystem from here.
“Our vision is for Scotland to be a recognised centre of excellence for LiFi - in the future customers from around the world will come to us for our innovative technology and leverage the wider photonics ecosystem that already exists here in Scotland.”
The investment should enable pureLiFi to develop new technologies while opening up additional markets such as mobile phones, tablets, wearables and other connected devices.
The number of connected devices in the average home has more than doubled in the past two years. As more devices connect to struggling home WiFi networks, bandwidth is split, interference increases and response times slow.
LiFi aims to solve the challenges faced by current wireless communications technologies by decreasing congestion, improving security and quality of connection.
Jimmy Williamson, executive director at the Scottish National Investment Bank, said: “The investment will support pureLiFi as they look to scale up their operation, allowing them to take the innovative technology to the global market.
“By backing them, the bank is also investing in highly skilled research and development jobs in Scotland and endorsing pureLiFi’s vision to create a centre of excellence of LiFi.”
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