The Week In Review: IoT

The Internet of Things “doesn’t just mean tiny devices,” said Charlene Marini, vice president of segment marketing at ARM. “It needs a network.” Speaking at the Mentor/ARM Summit in Santa Clara, Calif., this week, she identified several key elements in her presentation, titled “Enabling the Ecosystem for the Backbone of IoT.” Among them: Capacity and latency, scalability, agility, infrastructure, and efficient computing—everywhere.

Behind the numbers
Mentor Graphics reported its numbers on Thursday. Wally Rhines, chairman and CEO, noted that “bookings and revenue from automotive customers set a first quarter all-time record.” The company also said it has developed a design, layout and verification solution for the mobile and consumer markets to support TSMC’s Integrated Fan-Out (InFO) packaging technology.

Synopsys reported results for its second fiscal quarter on Wednesday. Aart de Geus, chairman and co-CEO, told analysts on a conference call, “When looking at the semiconductor industry, both maturation and rejuvenation are readily apparent as the industry is gearing up for the age of smart everything. By linking IoT cloud connectivity with big data analysis and digital intelligence, companies are readying for the next wave of impact. To get there, customers are both restructuring their businesses and accelerating investments in advanced technology nodes capable of dealing with the performance and low-power requirements of smart-everything computation.”

Deals
Chicago-based Hologram announced the launching of its cellular platform for the Internet of Things. The company also announced that Drive Capital has led a funding round of $4.8 million for Hologram to increase its headcount and to scale its cellular network.

Bit Stew Systems reported closing Series C funding from new and existing investors, including BDC Capital, GE Ventures, Kensington Capital Partners, and Yaletown Partners. The company will use the funds to expand the customer base for its Mix Core platform, which integrates data for the Industrial Internet of Things.

Samsung Catalyst Fund has led Series A funding of $20.3 million for Afero, which offers a secure IoT platform for enterprises and the home. The Softbank Group and Sanshin Electronics are among the other investors in the funding round.