Wisair, a California-based developer of “dongles”, which allow devices such as computer keyboards, digital cameras and laptops to communicate with each other wirelessly, has completed a round of Series D funding worth $24 million (£12.2 million). The funding round includes the company’s first European investor, London-based Advent Ventures.

Wisair, a California-based developer of “dongles”, which allow devices such as computer keyboards, digital cameras and laptops to communicate with each other wirelessly, has completed a round of Series D funding worth $24 million (£12.2 million). The funding round includes the company’s first European investor, London-based Advent Ventures.

Martin McNair, general partner at Advent, says his firm will be helping Wisair find technology partners in Europe. He adds: ‘Wisair’s market-ready single chip technology is poised to play a major role in the [wireless USB] market, which is now fully set to experience rapid growth over the next few years.’

Wisair, whose technology allows data transfer at speeds of up to 480 megabits per second within a ten-metre radius, has already received $48 million in previous fundraisings. This latest round brings the total now invested in the company to $72 million.

Other new investors in this round are US private equity group Susquehanna Growth Equity, 40-year-old Japanese VC firm Yasuda Ventures, and Bridge Capital Fund of Japan, an affiliate fund of Tokyo-based investor Nikko antfactory.

They join existing investors including semiconductor specialist Broadcom, private equity giant Apax Partners, and Intel Capital, the investment arm of the US technology group.