{"id":338298,"date":"2017-04-14T00:03:10","date_gmt":"2017-04-13T16:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1476337"},"modified":"2017-04-14T00:03:10","modified_gmt":"2017-04-13T16:03:10","slug":"gotenna-series-b-fuels-vision-to-make-local-communication-possible-anywhere-on-the-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/gotenna-series-b-fuels-vision-to-make-local-communication-possible-anywhere-on-the-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"goTenna Series B fuels vision to make local communication possible anywhere on the planet"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Founded in 2012 with the small goal of enabling connectivity-free communication, goTenna<\/a> has ballooned\u00a0to over 23 employees and delivered real hardware to market in the process. Today the startup is adding another $7.5 million to its coffers in the form of a Series B led by Union Square Ventures<\/a>.<\/p>\n

goTenna\u2019s full suite of products effectively convert phones into walkie-talkies, allowing them to communicate with other local goTenna equipped phones. The Brooklyn-based startup is targeting both consumers and enterprises, but the later is where they are most poised to shine going forward. An alternative communications network is cool for a weekend expedition, but mission critical for governments and other emergency response teams.<\/p>\n

\"goTenna<\/p>\n

Team goTenna at REI<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

With just $16.8 million in total financing, including today\u2019s round, the startup has been able to develop three products\u00a0\u2014 goTenna, goTenna Mesh<\/a> and goTenna Pro<\/a>. The first of these serves the aforementioned U.S. consumer population, while Mesh\u00a0benefits both domestic and international users and Pro supports the\u00a0public safety and enterprise communities.\u00a0goTenna Mesh is set to ship late this spring while the goTenna Pro suite will ship later in the fall\/winter.<\/p>\n

Though goTenna is a hardware startup at heart, it has been making efforts to diversify its revenue stream. Last fall, it launched its services-based business called goTenna Plus. That service unlocks offline mapping, read receipts and location tracking, among other things.<\/p>\n

Beyond services, goTenna will also need to execute in international markets. In a phone interview,\u00a0CEO Daniela Perdomo told me that operating at-scale internationally will mean building out its supply chain without sacrificing responsiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been in R&D mode for a long time,\u201d Perdomo says. \u201cWe\u00a0sold million of dollars worth of product organically and we\u00a0continue to be an R&D organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perdomo, who doesn\u2019t enjoy fundraising, took a fairly traditional approach to it\u00a0\u2014 aiming to raise 50 percent more money than she thought the company needed for the next 18 to 24 months. \u00a0Perdomo was also quick to highlight her belief that the startup is on a clear path to being self-sustaining.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Series B also included participation from existing goTenna investors including\u00a0 Walden Venture Capital<\/a>, MentorTech Ventures<\/a>, Bloomberg Beta<\/a>, BBG Ventures<\/a>, and Collaborative Fund<\/a>,<\/p>\n

Featured Image: gotenna.com<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\" Founded in 2012 with the small goal of enabling connectivity-free communication, goTenna has ballooned\u00a0to over 23 employees and delivered real hardware to market in the process. Today the startup is adding another $7.5 million to its coffers in the form of a Series B led by Union Square Ventures. goTenna’s full suite of products effectively convert phones into walkie-talkies, allowing… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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