PARIS-DiBcom snared $30 million in its fourth round of financing, the French chipmaker said Monday.
Partech International led the round, which DiBcom said was the largest venture-backed financing for a French information technology company this year. Intel Capital, 3i, WI Harper and UMC also participated.
DiBcom, which designs and sells semiconductors for mobile TV, said it will use the funds to expand its operations in Asia and the United States. Last week, Intel said it is working with Crown Castle International Corp. and DiBcom to demonstrate mobile TV services on Intel’s Centrino and XScale chips.
“It’s an exciting time in mobile communications, and DVB-H is an important technology for the industry,” said Dr. Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research. “The demonstration of DiBcom’s chipset in a mobile phone is a major milestone and a clear indication that 2005 is shaping up to be the year of mobile TV.”
Meanwhile, Swedish mobile software developer Scalado AB said it received a $655,000 cash infusion from three venture capital firms. The 5-year-old developer hopes to gain traction with software that enables manufacturers to reduce costs in memory and increase image management performance.
“The company now has several products on the market, generating significant revenue growth,” said Mats Jacobson, Scalado’s president. “We are currently recruiting additional key staff for a global expansion.”
