Mesh-networking start-up HypeLabs raises $3M to provide Internet-free connectivity

HypeLabs, the leading software-only mesh networking provider, announced today a $3 million seed round led by innogy Innovation Hub. Other investors in the round include EDP Ventures, Deutsche Telekom, AngelPad, Caixa Capital, NovaBase Capital and Mustard Seed.

The company, which was founded in 2016 in Porto, Portugal, and is an alumnus of AngelPad batch#10, enables internet-free communication via mesh networking through its Hype SDK (Software Development Kit). The SDK connects devices to create local mesh networks that work across any operating system and transport channel using existing connectivity technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, enabling content to securely hop between devices until it reaches a destination or an internet exit point.

HypeLabs will use the new funding to strengthen its team and support international growth.

“What makes HypeLabs special is that they don’t rely on specific hardware or specific radio channels to manage the network. It has a huge number of use cases, adding another layer of connectivity for connected devices that can be implemented simply on the application layer. We are particularly excited about the role of this technology within the decentralised IoT-based energy system where smart homes will require smart, resilient and reliable connectivity,” said Kerstin Eichmann, Strategy Lead, Machine Economy at innogy Innovation Hub.

“In a world where we see more connected and smarter devices in our daily lives, new connectivity paradigms need to emerge. Our goal is to simply connect every device even in situations where they couldn’t before, by building networks that self-configure, self-heal, self-optimise and self-protect. It’s time to bring intelligence to the networking stack, and this new partnership with, and investment from, innogy will allow us to keep growing internationally, as well as focus on one key market – the energy utility one,” said Carlos Lei, CEO, HypeLabs.