International cable operator Liberty Global participated in a $12 million round of funding for Celeno Communications, an Israeli developer of semiconductors for multimedia Wi-Fi home networking applications such as multiroom DVRs.
In September, Liberty Global chose Celeno's Wi-Fi technology to power its multimedia home gateway, which is scheduled to debut in Europe in the first half of 2011. The MSO is developing gateway with partners including Samsung, Intel and NDS.
Celeno's previous investors -- Cisco Systems, Greylock Partners, Miven Venture Partners and Pitango Venture Capital -- also participated in the round. With the funding, Celeno has raised $44 million to date.
"We invested in Celeno because their carrier-grade Wi-Fi technology is a cornerstone for delivering video throughout the home and it will be a key component in our multimedia home gateways," Liberty Global Ventures vice president of technology investing Bruce Dines said in a statement. "We were impressed with Celeno's technology and market leadership and believe that Celeno is well positioned to address the growing needs of the cable industry for high-quality, reliable Wi-Fi solutions."
Celeno, founded in 2005, claims its OptimizAIR technology improves 802.11n Wi-Fi to be able to deliver HD video with whole-home coverage with up to 10 times the range and throughput compared to legacy 802.11n solutions. The 50-employee company is based in Ra'anana, Israel.
