PureLiFi Raises $18 Million in Funding to Power R&D for Lighting & Mobile Applications

Electrical Marketing’s editors are fascinated by LiFi, a futuristic technology that uses light to carry internet data at extraordinarily high speeds without the use of radio frequencies used by other technologies such as WiFi and cellular. We believe it’s one of the most interesting R&D developments in years. Several LightFair exhibitors, including Signify, had the technology on display at their booths.

PureLiFi, a Scottish company founded by Harold Haas,  a professor and researcher at Scotland’s  University of Edinburgh, recently raised $18 million in Series B funding to provide LiFi components to mass-market mobile device and lighting manufacturers. According to an announcement on its website, www.purelifi.com, the funding round includes Temasek, an investment company headquartered in Singapore, and the Scottish Investment Bank. The investment will allow PureLiFi to further develop Gigabit LiFi components and make them available in form factors ready for mobile device integration.

The firm announced its move from LiFi systems to components at the Mobile World Congress event in February, where they demonstrated new Gigabit LiFi integrated into a laptop. Since this announcement, pureLiFi has been working with device manufacturers to design LiFi into laptops, tablets and mobile devices. And earlier this year, PureLiFi co-founded the Light Communications Alliance (LCA) to work on LiFI applications  and  standards. Alliance members include LEDVANCE, Nokia, Lucibel and the LiFi Research & Development Centre.
PureLiFi also works with lighting companies Zumtobel and Wipro and telecommunications company such as O2 Telefonica.

The Edinburgh, Scotland-based PureLifi said in the post that LiFi can serve as a huge pipe for data — providing 1,000 times the bandwidth of the entire radio spectrum. “Device manufacturers are looking for new ways to provide devices with faster, more reliable and secure connectivity. LiFi is the natural next step in the evolution of global wireless communications and pureLiFi is leading the way to provide this technology to the market,” said PureLiFi CEO Alistair Banham in the post. “Our investors believe in our team and our strategy to provide LiFi for every light and every device, and we have the products to support mobile device integration of LiFi.”
The research firm Global Market Insights, Selbyville, DE, projects the LiFi market will reach $75 billion by 2023.