High-Tech Gründerfonds Invests in Click-2-Call, the Next Generation of VoIP Technology
October 16, 2009
C2Call (Click-to-call) GmbH, a developer of a ground-breaking new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology has received start up venture capital from High-Tech Gründerfonds and angel investors Michael Brehm – former executive director of StudiVZ – and Tapesh Sinha – Founder of Acctel Group. This investment will fund the internationalization and marketing of www.friendcaller.com, the world’s first Java browser-based VoIP suite and the popular FriendCaller iPhone apps.
Developers of C2Call took a radical new approach in Internet Telephony by developing a Java-based internet telephony solution that starts in any popular browser and operating system without installation of software.
“Our vision was a true Click-to-Call (C2Call) experience where users don’t have to bother with prerequisite software installation and configurations – our aim was instant browser-based VoIP,” explained Michael Knecht, Founder and CTO of C2Call GmbH. “With the launch of www.friendcaller.com and Apple’s approval of our FriendCaller iPhone app, we achieved the proof-of-concept and turned to High-Tech Gründerfonds for help in preparing for the next steps, namely the internationalization and marketing of C2Call.”
“Both the founders and angel investors are very pleased about the successful financing of the company,” said Martin Feuerhahn, Founder and CEO of C2Call GmbH. “Over the past four years of its existence, High-Tech Gründerfonds’ investments have become a desired “seal of approval” for all promising German start-ups focusing on high tech development. The High-Tech Gründerfonds not only provided investment, but opened its impressive network of portfolio companies to us and helped us to prepare our corporate structure and legal framework for the next growth phase,” Feuerhahn continued.
According to Andreas Quauke, Investment Manager with High-Tech Gründerfonds, market surveys show that PC-based VoIP is still only used by a small percentage of all Internet users. “C2Call is poised to change the market. We followed the fast development of this new Click-to-Call technology almost from its inception and were impressed with the speed and efficiency the small C2Call team pushed forward. The market potential of the new technology and the experienced team were the deciding factors for our engagement,” he continued.
About C2Call GmbH:
C2Call is pioneering browser-based VoIP for the computing cloud. It powers the popular FriendCaller www.friendcaller.com website and FriendCaller iPhone apps. FriendCaller allows users to instantly connect over the Internet through the company’s patented Callme links. FriendCaller is the first VoIP service available currently that does not require prior software installation, registration or ID exchanges by users.
C2Call GmbH was founded in April 2008 by Martin Feuerhahn and Michael Knecht with Headquarters in Werl Germany and an office in Taiwan. Its group of angel investors includes Michael Brehm, former executive director of StudiVZ , Europe’s largest social networking site and Tapesh Sinha, Founder of Acctel Group of companies. For further information please visit www.c2call.com
Contact:
Martin Feuerhahn
C2Call GmbH, Werl, Germany
GSM: +49 178 417 1523
Phone: +49 2922 8703 650
martin.feuerhahn@c2call.com
www.c2call.com
About High-Tech Gründerfonds:
The High-Tech Gründerfonds invests venture capital in young, up-and-coming technology companies, which implement promising research results in the industry. The start-up companies are planned to lead their R&D projects to the production of a prototype or a “proof of concepts” or market launch by means of the seed financing of up to 500k EUR. The High-Tech Gründerfonds has a fund volume of around 272m EUR. Investors of the public-private partnership are the Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology, the KfW bank group as well as the six industrial groups BASF, Deutsche Telekom, Siemens, Robert Bosch, Daimler and Carl Zeiss.
Contact:
High-Tech Gründerfonds Management GmbH
Andreas Quauke
Investment Manager
Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2
53175 Bonn
Germany
Phone: +49 228 965685-00
Fax: +49 228 965685-50
info@high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
www.high-tech-gruenderfonds.de
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