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Ericsson

Europe, Stockholms Lan, Sweden, Kista

Description

Ericsson Ventures serves as the corporate venture capital arm of Ericsson, the global leader in information and communications technology. Established to foster innovation and strategically align with Ericsson's core business and future direction, the fund primarily invests in early-stage to growth-stage companies. Its investment thesis is deeply rooted in supporting advancements in key technological domains critical to the evolving telecommunications landscape. These areas include 5G infrastructure, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), enterprise solutions, and other emerging technologies that complement Ericsson's product and service offerings.

The fund actively seeks out startups that demonstrate disruptive potential and offer synergies with Ericsson's extensive global network and customer base. Ericsson Ventures typically participates in funding rounds ranging from Seed to Series C and beyond, providing not only capital but also strategic guidance, market access, and technical expertise. While specific check sizes can vary based on the stage and strategic importance of the investment, their typical first cheques range from approximately $500,000 for early-stage participation to as much as $10 million for more mature, strategically significant opportunities. This flexible approach allows them to engage with a broad spectrum of innovative companies.

Since its inception, Ericsson Ventures has built a diverse portfolio, reflecting its commitment to driving innovation within the ICT sector. As of early 2024, the fund has made over 20 investments in companies across various sub-sectors, including wireless technology, network security, and cloud-native solutions. Notable portfolio companies have included those developing advanced radio access networks (RAN) and secure enterprise connectivity platforms. By investing in these promising ventures, Ericsson Ventures aims to accelerate the development of next-generation technologies, secure future revenue streams, and maintain Ericsson's leadership position in the global digital infrastructure market.

Investor Profile

Ericsson has backed more than 22 startups, with 0 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 3 rounds, about 14% of its total and boasts 9 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Series B, Series Unknown, Series D rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, Sweden, Ireland.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Open Source, Mobile.
  • Typical check size: $500K – $10M.

Stage Focus

  • Series B (41%)
  • Series Unknown (23%)
  • Series D (14%)
  • Series A (14%)
  • Corporate Round (5%)
  • Series C (5%)

Country Focus

  • United States (86%)
  • Sweden (9%)
  • Ireland (5%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Open Source
  • Mobile
  • Big Data
  • Cloud Computing
  • Internet Of Things
  • Analytics
  • Developer Apis
  • Manufacturing
  • Real Time
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Ericsson frequently co-invest with?

GV
North America, Ohio, United States, Akron
Co-Investments: 2
August Capital
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 2
Insight Partners
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 2
Temasek Holdings
Asia, Central Region, Singapore, Singapore
Co-Investments: 2
GE Ventures
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 2
WestSummit Capital
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 2
Aspect Ventures
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Co-Investments: 2
Sapphire Ventures
North America, Texas, United States, Austin
Co-Investments: 3
Threshold
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 2
Intel Capital
North America, California, United States, Santa Clara
Co-Investments: 3

What are some of recent deals done by Ericsson?

Formant

San Francisco, California, United States

Formant is a monitoring and operations software that connects people, processes, sensors, and robots through a robotic approach platform.

Cloud Data ServicesInformation ServicesInformation TechnologyRoboticsSensorSoftware
Series AOct 11, 2023
Amount Raised: $21,000,000
Formant

San Francisco, California, United States

Formant is a monitoring and operations software that connects people, processes, sensors, and robots through a robotic approach platform.

Cloud Data ServicesInformation ServicesInformation TechnologyRoboticsSensorSoftware
Series AJan 5, 2022
Amount Raised: $18,000,000
Einride

Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden

Einride is a freight technology company providing digital, electric, and autonomous shipping.

Autonomous VehiclesElectric VehicleLogisticsTransportation
Series BMay 6, 2021
Amount Raised: $110,000,000
PubNub

San Francisco, California, United States

PubNub Data Stream Network is a secure global Data Stream Network that enables mobile and web developers to build and scale real-time apps.

AppsCloud ComputingDeveloper APIsInternet of ThingsMobileReal TimeSoftwareWeb Development
Series DApr 9, 2019
Amount Raised: $23,000,000
Concealfab

Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States

ConcealFab Corporation® is a designated small-business specializing in innovative RF-transparent antenna concealment solutions.

InfrastructureManufacturingMobileTelecommunicationsWireless
Series UnknownDec 24, 2018
Balena

Seattle, Washington, United States

Balena is a complete set of tools for building, deploying, and managing fleets of connected IoT devices.

Internet of ThingsOpen SourcePaaSSoftware
Corporate RoundJun 11, 2018
Amount Raised: $5,000,000
Trifacta

San Francisco, California, United States

Trifacta delivers an intelligent, collaborative data engineering cloud platform to transform data, ensure quality, and automate pipelines.

AnalyticsArtificial Intelligence (AI)Big DataData ManagementInformation TechnologyMachine LearningSaaSSoftware
Series DJan 31, 2018
Amount Raised: $48,000,000
PubNub

San Francisco, California, United States

PubNub Data Stream Network is a secure global Data Stream Network that enables mobile and web developers to build and scale real-time apps.

AppsCloud ComputingDeveloper APIsInternet of ThingsMobileReal TimeSoftwareWeb Development
Series UnknownSep 12, 2016
Amount Raised: $6,000,000
Cask

Palo Alto, California, United States

Cask provides the first unified integration platform for Hadoop and Apache Spark.

AnalyticsBig DataDeveloper APIsOpen SourceSoftware
Series UnknownJun 27, 2016
Balena

Seattle, Washington, United States

Balena is a complete set of tools for building, deploying, and managing fleets of connected IoT devices.

Internet of ThingsOpen SourcePaaSSoftware
Series AJun 27, 2016
Amount Raised: $9,000,000