Wireless communications, security and home energy management are all arenas in the smart grid landscape where startups are finding success. Utility Dive looked through some of the tech and investment stories that caught our attention in recent weeks, pulled out a few highlights.
All five of these startups can be linked to emerging trends in the larger smart grid ecosystem:
Reason for making headlines: Tropos, a California-based startup catering to Wi-Fi needs for towns and utilities, got bought up by ABB for $35 million, Greentech Media reported. With communication tech becoming more and more important as smart grid infrastructure continues to take shape, ABB grabbed Tropos for their wireless network know-how and attention to security and scalability.
2. MOCANA
Reason for making headlines: Mocana isn't exclusively a smart grid startup, but it is a company made up of security specialists who help other companies to secure devices and apps, and the smart grid is one of the key areas they cater to. Enough investors saw potential in Mocana to give it a $25 million Series D round of funding led by Trident Capital, GigaOM reported in August.
3. AXEDA
Reason for making headlines: GigaOM called Axeda one of its "12 smart grid startups to watch in 2012," thanks to its in-the-cloud intelligence solutions that can operate sensors in real-time, and that's the kind of technology that can be extremely useful in the smart grid. Inc. magazine seemed to agree, naming the Massachusetts-based company to its Inc. 5000 list for the third year in a row.
4. NEST LABS
Reason for making headlines: Nest has made a lot of noise in consumer tech and utility circles in 2012, most recently for revealing that its iconic smart thermostat's sales have numbered “in the mid-hundreds of thousands.” All have that has been made possible through positive press and helpful distribution agreement with Reliant in Texas.
Reason for making headlines: As you may have read earlier this week, the geospatial data analysis startup Space-Time Insight attracted $14 million in a Series B round of funding, as reported by Greentech Media. With data analysis needs swelling, expect to see demand grow for solutions like Space-Time's in the near term.
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