Transcelestial Technologies, a Singapore-based wireless fiber optic tech company, announced that it has received an investment of $2 million from Philippines corporate venture capital firm Kickstart Ventures. Transcelestial aims to use the fund to enter the Filipino market and increase access to high-speed internet in the country.
The company aims to address the Philippines’ Internet infrastructure bottleneck problem through its tech. It plans to provide ISPs, enterprises, and government agencies with a cheaper alternative to traditional fiber optic cables without compromising on internet quality and reliability.
“The team at Kickstart have been fully aligned with our goals of solving the last-mile and global bottlenecks in internet distribution. We could not have asked for a better partner to help us not only work with Globe in the Philippines but also advise us on bringing our current and future products to solve some of the challenges in the archipelago nation,” said Rohit Jha, Chief Executive Officer of Transcelestial.
Kickstart Ventures is the joint venture capital arm of telecommunications company Globe Telecom. The firm aims to invest in global companies and founders looking to change the industry with the following themes: The Frictionless Future, From Automation to Augmentation, Smarter Living, and A World of Plenty. In 2019, the VC firm received support from Ayala Corp. after receiving $150 million to manage under the Ayala Corporation Technology Innovation Venture (ACTIVE) Fund. The fund aims to invest in global startups and founders in their Series A to D round of funding.
Its investment in the wireless fiber optic tech company is Kickstart Venture’s first publicly announced venture utilizing the ACTIVE Fund. “For the ACTIVE Fund and its stakeholders, ‘The Frictionless Future’ is one with improved digital access to goods, services, and information. We’re proud to be publicly sharing an ACTIVE Fund investment for the first time, especially that it tackles improving internet distribution, an issue that is of heightened relevance to Filipinos,” said Minette Navarrete, President of Kickstart Ventures.
The Philippines is one of the biggest consumers of the Internet. With 67 percent internet penetration, the country is on top of the list when it comes to the number of hours spent on the Internet. When it comes to streaming, the Philippines is 2 percent above the world average with 69 percent of the population watching content online. However, Jha explained that the country’s average download speed is only 50 percent of the world average for mobile and 24 percent of the world average for fixed connections.
Transcelestial aims to change the landscape of the internet providers infrastructure through its proprietary CENTAURI tech. This powerful device is less than 3 kilograms in weight and is roughly the size of a shoebox. It makes use of Wireless Laser Communication Technology that creates a wireless network between buildings, cell towers, street-level poles, and other structures to distribute connections with “true fiber-like speeds.”
Navarrete said: “As more Filipinos become reliant on internet access for their livelihood and social connections, we’re hopeful that Transcelestial will help increase Internet penetration and provide telcos and ISPs with an affordable option for 5G deployment.”
“During COVID-19, it is absolutely critical that the people of the Philippines continue to work remotely from their homes, continuing to make a livelihood. Transcelestial is here to help telecoms, ISPs, Enterprises and the Government help bridge this shortfall,” Jha added.