A 5G maritime technology firm has secured £500k of investment from the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Investment Fund (CIOSIF).
Birmingham-based JET Connectivity, aims to meet the pan-industry demand for 5G enabled activity at sea. CIOSIF, managed by The FSE Group, as well as Ƶ based and international private investors, has awarded the investment to help JET Connectivity establish itself as a national player in the Ƶ.
The company in total has received £1m and also hopes to open a new facility in Cornwall and begin the rollout of its proprietary mesh network prior to a follow- on equity raise to secure a capital rollout fund.
The technology firm is working to deliver cost effective and resilient 5G communications and data transmission technology for the emerging industry sectors of the marine environment including aquaculture, offshore renewables, port/shipping operations, and defence/security.
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JET Connectivity will deliver its objectives through 5G connected floating and self- powered buoy platforms. The platforms will be fitted with JET’s proprietary 5G routers and user equipment, which enables pop-up network capabilities within any applied maritime industry.
This network hopes to deliver secure, high-speed communication capabilities, continuous multi-sensor monitoring, data collection and edge processing, tailored to end-user requirements.
James Thomas, JET Connectivity chief executive, said: “High-speed connectivity at sea saves lives, protects our environment, and ensures stable growth of the blue economy. Existing infrastructure cannot support the collection and transmission of data required by marine industry 4.0 applications, which is where our technology comes in.
"This CIOSIF investment comes at a pivotal moment in our growth journey as we create strong foundations for our next stage of development. In FSE we have found a well-networked funder, experienced in supporting early-stage businesses, that can add value as we grow our Cornwall presence to help deliver large infrastructure support projects, such as floating windfarm communications in a sustainable manner.”
JET will be employing maritime specialists in Cornwall, with the expertise that the area has to offer being pivotal for the company’s growth in the offshore renewables, environmental and port sectors.
John Acornley, chair of the CIOSIF advisory board and former LEP non- executive director, added: "JET Connectivity is taking offshore communications to the next level through its wireless 5G network. With Cornwall's rich maritime heritage and ambition to capitalise on the development of floating windfarms in the Celtic Sea, there is considerable growth opportunity in the region and further afield."
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