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Wirepas offers Wirepas Mesh, a decentralized wireless connectivity solution for industrial and commercial IoT. This technology enables robust, multi-hop mesh networking where devices intelligently relay data, ensuring high reliability and scalability. Operating independently of specific hardware, it provides a foundational layer for extensive, infrastructure-grade IoT networks across diverse industrial deployments.
The company evolved from a research initiative at the University of Tampere, beginning in 2000 with an early recognition of IoT’s potential. This academic work transitioned into Wirepas as a commercial entity in 2010, co-founded by Teppo Hemiä, its current CEO. The core insight addressed the demand for resilient, scalable wireless connectivity essential for large-scale IoT ecosystems.
Wirepas Mesh serves industrial clients in smart manufacturing, condition monitoring, smart cities, and healthcare asset tracking. Solutions are tailored for large-scale deployments, facilitating reliable connectivity for millions of devices. The company aims to power the future of industrial IoT by delivering fundamental connectivity infrastructure for connected environments.
Wirepas has raised $59.9M across 6 funding rounds.
Wirepas has raised $59.9M in total across 6 funding rounds.
Wirepas is a Finland-based technology company founded in 2010 that develops Wirepas Mesh, a decentralized wireless connectivity platform for massive industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) deployments.[1][2][4] It builds the Wirepas Connectivity Suite, including profiles like Wirepas 5G Mesh (the first non-cellular 5G IoT standard, contributed to ETSI and ITU), 2.4 GHz Mesh for low-power/low-latency use cases, and Sub-GHz Mesh for smart meters, serving industries such as smart metering, logistics, asset tracking, and sensors.[2][3][5] Wirepas solves the challenges of scalable, reliable connectivity in dense environments by enabling self-organizing, self-healing mesh networks where every device acts as a relay, supporting millions of nodes with >99.999% reliability, as demonstrated in Norway's largest wireless mesh network of over 1 million smart electricity meters and rapid expansion in India's smart meter market (2 million deployed by 2023, 500,000 monthly by 2024).[2] With ~€6M revenue in 2023 and ~€60M funding raised, Wirepas shows strong growth momentum, highlighted by the 2024 general availability of its NR+-based 5G Mesh products.[2]
Wirepas originated in Tampere, Finland, in 2010 as a developer of wireless connectivity technology tailored for IIoT.[1][2][4][8] While specific founders are not detailed in available sources, the company emerged to address limitations in traditional IoT networking, pioneering a decentralized mesh protocol stack embedded directly in radio ICs for processor-agnostic use.[3] Early traction came from its robust design for large-scale deployments, evolving into the foundation for global applications like Norway's massive smart meter network (>1 million devices at >99.999% SLA) and leadership in India's expanding smart metering market.[2] Pivotal moments include contributing to the NR+ IoT standard (first non-cellular 5G) at ETSI and ITU, and scaling to millions of deployed meters, sensors, and tags worldwide, with key milestones like 2 million Indian meters in 2023 and NR+ product launch in 2024.[2]
Wirepas stands out in the IoT connectivity space through its mesh-first architecture optimized for industrial-scale reliability and scalability:
Wirepas rides the massive IIoT wave, where exploding device counts (tens of thousands to millions) demand non-cellular alternatives to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular for cost, power, and reliability in industrial settings like smart grids, logistics, and factories.[2][3][7] Timing aligns with 5G's enterprise push and regulatory mandates (e.g., India's smart meter requirements), positioning NR+ as a game-changer for "cellular-grade" mesh without cellular costs or single points of failure.[2][5] Market forces like rising energy efficiency needs, asset tracking in logistics, and sub-GHz spectrum availability favor its scalable, interference-resistant design over hierarchical networks.[1][4] Wirepas influences the ecosystem by standardizing NR+ globally, enabling partners (e.g., SolidRun gateways, Haltian solutions) and fostering organic network growth in high-stakes sectors.[2][3][6]
Wirepas is primed to dominate non-cellular massive IoT with NR+ 5G Mesh now in general availability, targeting explosive growth in smart infrastructure amid global digitization.[2][5] Trends like edge computing, AI-driven predictive maintenance, and stricter SLAs for critical infrastructure (e.g., utilities, manufacturing) will amplify demand for its ultra-reliable, scalable mesh. Expect deeper penetration in emerging markets like India, expanded positioning/RTLS apps, and partnerships scaling to billions of devices—potentially evolving into a de facto standard for industrial mesh, redefining connectivity much like its Norwegian meter triumph scaled to worldwide impact.[2]
Wirepas has raised $59.9M across 6 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $22.0M Other Equity in October 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 2023 | $22M Venture Round | Laurence Garrett | Vesa Laisi, IN Q TEL, KPN Ventures, Vito Ventures | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2021 | $10M Venture Round | — | Tommi Uhari, Juha Lehtola | Announced |
| May 1, 2019 | $16M Series B | — | Curiosity VC, Inventure, Karma Ventures | Announced |
| Oct 23, 2016 | $4.9M Venture Round | — | Inventure, Vito Ventures | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2016 | $5M Series U | — | Inventure | Announced |
| Mar 1, 2016 | $2M Series A | — | Inventure, DR. Benedikt Herles | Announced |
Wirepas has raised $59.9M in total across 6 funding rounds.
Wirepas's investors include Laurence Garrett, Vesa Laisi, In-Q-Tel, KPN Ventures, Vito Ventures, Tommi Uhari, Juha Lehtola, Curiosity VC, Inventure, Karma Ventures, Dr. Benedikt Herles.
