Amazon-backed Wiliot raises $200 million in investment led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2

  • 7/27/2021
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(Reuters) - Wiliot, a technology company backed by Amazon Web Services and Qualcomm Inc, said on Tuesday it raised $200 million in a funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2. The company, which makes chips that can be embedded on product packaging to help track items during their manufacturing, shipping, and sale, did not disclose the valuation at which the funds were raised. Its technology can be integrated into vaccine vials and food packaging, among others. Wiliot says it aims to expand the internet-of-things network to include everyday products. The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Israel, with a presence in California, Germany, Ukraine, Australia and Taiwan. The investment marks another major bet on Israeli growth companies from Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp. In recent months, SoftBank has also invested in artificial intelligence-based facial recognition startup AnyVision and cloud firm Redis Labs. Wiliot also counts the investment arms of Samsung Group and Verizon Communications Inc among its backers. The company plans to use the fresh funds to expand its operations in preparation for the upcoming launch of its V2 product. Amit Lubovsky, director at SoftBank Investment Advisers, will take a seat on Wiliot’s board as part of the deal. The company raised $70 million in a previous funding round in February last year. Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru and Jane Lee in San Francisco; Editing by Aditya Soni Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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