New iris company lands $13m
By Martha Entwistle
Updated Fri March 20, 2009
AOptix Technologies Inc., a Campbell, Calif.-based developer of iris recognition systems and ultra-high bandwidth laser communication solutions, has raised $12.9 million in Series D funding. Northgate Capital led the round, and was joined by return backers Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Clearstone Venture Partners, DAG Ventures, W Capital Partners and Lehman Brothers. The company has now raised over $60 million in total VC funding.They're not a pure-play security company, obviously, so maybe I shouldn't call them "new" in the headline, but just this month they launched their security product (warning: that link's a pdf), which they call the "InSight," and which elevates iris recognition systems by making it so you don't have to stand all up close to the wall unit and stare into it. You just look in the general direction of the unit and stand within about a meter square area and, voila, you get recognized. I have not actually seen this demonstrated, but it sounds cool over the phone. I'm not sure how much of the money will go toward development of the security line, vs. their other optical imaging lines, but I'll call and find out what I can.
Comments