KDDI Invests in Ossia to Accelerate Manufacturing and Adoption of Real Remote Wireless Charging in Japan
Japan's second largest mobile carrier's investment will help Ossia bring its groundbreaking Cota wireless power technology to Japanese consumer electronics companies and consumers
TOKYO and REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Ossia, Inc. (www.ossiainc.com), the company behind the Cota® remote wire-free charging technology, today announced that is has received an investment from the KDDI Corporation. KDDI, with more than 40 million customers, is Japan's second largest mobile carrier, and made this investment through its KDDI Open Innovation Fund.
In recent months Ossia has raised more than $10 million. These funds are being used to accelerate research and development of the groundbreaking Cota technology, as well as move toward the integration of Cota technology with its business partners, and continued expansion of current business partnerships leading ultimately to the commercialization of Cota into the marketplace. As the investment from KDDI demonstrates, Ossia considers Japan a highly important market for both partnerships with consumer electronics manufacturers and consumer adoption of devices that include Cota technology.
"There has been tremendous interest in Ossia's Cota remote wireless power technology in Japan," said Hatem Zeine, founder and CEO of Ossia. "Ossia has been working diligently to create meaningful partnerships with Japanese companies that, like KDDI, understand the benefits and long-term possibilities remote wireless power will create. With 40 million customers using wireless devices, KDDI is one of few companies that better understand how untethered power will transform the lives of consumers, industries like health care and energy, and power the rapidly expanding Internet of Things revolution. Ossia is very excited to have earned this important strategic investment."
"Ossia is a true pioneer in one of the most important technology transformations ever," said Makoto Takahashi, executive member/senior vice president of KDDI. "With our investment, KDDI is acknowledging that in the era of Internet of Things, safely delivered wireless power is going to be essential and ubiquitous, and Ossia will play an important role in bringing this technology to the mass market."
The Cota technology is designed to charge many devices simultaneously, regardless of whether a device is stationary or moving. At an effective charging radius of 30 feet, a single Cota charging station can charge the battery-operated devices in every room of an average home or office suite.
Under license from Ossia, consumer electronics OEMs and ODMs will be able to include Cota receivers in new products and will have the opportunity to build their own branded Cota transmitters. Existing battery-powered devices will be able to be retrofitted with Cota receivers. In addition, some construction and energy businesses are already exploring non-consumer electronics applications for Cota-based wire-free power.
About Ossia
Ossia is challenging people's core assumptions about what is possible with wireless power. Ossia's flagship product, Cota®, redefines wireless power by safely delivering remote, targeted energy to devices as far away as 30 feet. Built on Ossia's patented smart antenna technology, Cota automatically keeps multiple devices charged without any user intervention, enabling an efficient and truly wire-free, powered-up world, that is always on and always connected. Headquartered in Redmond, Wash., Ossia operated in stealth since its founding in 2008, and publicly launched at Disrupt San Francisco 2013. For more information visit www.ossiainc.com.
About KDDI
KDDI, a Japanese telecommunications provider, offers services that include fixed-line, mobile phone, cable television, Web and Internet services. For more information visit http://www.kddi.com/english.
About KDDI Open Innovation Fund
With a fund in excess of 10 billion yen ($85 million), the KDDI Open Innovation Fund invests in promising startups both domestically in Japan and internationally. The fund is operated by KDDI CORPORATION and Global Brain Corporation. For more information visit http://www.kddi.com/english/ventures/koif/.
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Media Contact
Ellie O'Rourke
Mobility Public Relations for Ossia
Mobile: +1-425-233-2092
Email: [email protected]
Ossia Press Kit: http://ossia.mobilitypr.com
Cota is a registered trademark of Ossia Inc.
SOURCE Ossia, Inc.
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