Networking startup FloLive Ltd., which helps companies link their sensors and other connected devices to the internet, today announced that it has raised $47 million in funding.

Greenfield Partners and 83North led the Series C round. They were joined by Qualcomm Ventures, Dell Technologies Capital, Saban Ventures and Hazelnut Partners.

Companies in industries such as the manufacturing sector increasingly rely on internet-connected hardware to support their operations. Factory operators, for example, deploy sensors in their plants to detect production line issues. Such sensors are often configured to send data about potential errors wirelessly to a cloud-based analytics backend.

Sending data from connected devices to the cloud requires internet access. For enterprises with devices in multiple locations around the world, providing the necessary connectivity can be technically challenging. 

The locations where a company deploys its internet-connected hardware are often served by different wireless carriers. As a result, an enterprise with a presence in six different markets may have to link its devices to six different carriers’ infrastructure. Such an undertaking can require a significant amount of time and effort. 

London-based FloLive is working to ease the task. It offers a cloud platform, FloNet, that makes it possible to access multiple carrier networks through a single application programming interface. As a result, companies don’t have to separately link their connected devices to each carrier network they will use. 

FloNet provides internet connectivity in dozens of locations around the world. At each location, the platform offers access to multiple carrier networks. If the network that a connected device uses goes offline because of a technical issue, FloNet can automatically switch to a different carrier.

The platform also promises to ease other device management tasks. It includes built-in cybersecurity tools that can protect connected device fleets from hacking. The tools don’t run locally on the internet-connected hardware they protect, which means they don’t slow down processing. 

FloLive offers two other networking offerings. The first is called FloControl and promises to help carriers more easily manage enterprise customers’ connected devices. The company’s other offering makes it possible to create a dedicated 5G network at locations such as factories.

Following its newly announced funding round, FloLive intends to make more internet providers’ infrastructure accessible through its FloNet platform. It also plans to roll out a satellite connectivity option. Satellite internet is particularly useful when a company wishes to deploy connected devices at a location that may be beyond the reach of ground-based carrier networks.

Photo: FloLive