Mobile network automation and orchestration provider Cellwize Wireless Technologies Inc. said today it has secured $32 million in a funding round led by Intel Capital and Qualcomm Ventures LLC.

Verizon Ventures, Samsung Next and existing investors Viola Ventures, DTCP, GreenApple Tech, Vintage Investment Partners, and Sonae IM also participated in the Series B round, which brings Cellwize’s total amount raised to $56.5 million.

Investors are betting on Cellwize’s next-generation radio access network or RAN automation and orchestration platform, Cellwize CHIME. It has been adopted by several major cellular network operators, including Verizon Communications Inc., Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG and Bell Canada, to assist with their 5G rollouts.

With Cellwize CHIME, wireless operators can automate various important business processes in the RAN domain, while adding self-created network applications on top of multivendor RAN ecosystems. That’s important, the company said, because it means clients will see a significant reduction in operating expenditure and improve the agility of their service management processes, resulting in faster time to market for their products.

The CHIME platform uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable zero-touch 5G deployments, with an aim to automate the optimization of 3G, 4G and 5G networks and to deliver mobile network assurance. That enables carriers to democratize network management functions and innovate faster, while enjoying the benefits of greater flexibility and scalability, Cellwize says.

Cellwize Chief Executive Ofir Zemer said the company’s platform helps carriers to accelerate their 5G rollouts in a more open and disaggregated way. “This is a clear reflection of the trust [our investors have] in Cellwize and in the cutting-edge capabilities of CHIME for enabling the 5G revolution,” he said.

“As a leader in RAN automation and orchestration, Cellwize plays an important role in 5G deployment,” said Merav Weinryb, senior director of Qualcomm Israel Ltd. and managing director of Qualcomm Ventures Israel and Europe.

Cellwize said it’s planning to use the funds it has raised to expand the global footprint of its CHIME platform and enter into adjacent markets such as private LTE/5G networks. It will also add new AI and machine learning features to CHIME in order to expand its value proposition, the company said.

Image: Cellwize