CEO Alex Algard said Hiya’s first big round of funding will be used to bring on more customers and double the employee head count.
Who’s calling your cellphone? Seattle startup Hiya knows, and it raised $18 million from investors to continue developing its mobile caller-id technology.
The company spun out of Seattle-based people-search firm Whitepages last year and has since grown to more than 50 employees. CEO Alex Algard said the company’s first big round of funding will be used to bring on more customers and double the employee head count.
Hiya already has partnerships with AT&T and Samsung, which use the technology to alert smartphone users who is calling them.
“There has been no innovation in the phone app in the decade since the smartphone was launched,” Algard said. “We see tremendous opportunity to bring innovation into the phone experience.”
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The funding round was led by London-based Balderton Capital, with participation from Nautilus Venture Partners and Lumia Capital. Algard is currently working from Hiya’s London office as the service expands globally.