Germany-based IoT MVNO, 1NCE, has recently completed a groundbreaking funding round, securing $60 million to enhance its artificial intelligence capabilities and fortify its presence in the booming U.S. IoT market. This funding pushes its total investment to $160 million over the past eight years, supported predominantly by major investors Deutsche Telekom, iSquared Capital, Kensington Capital Partners, SoftBank, and Vicenda Group, alongside its founder, Alexander Sator.
This financial boost aims to accelerate the development of its AI-driven SaaS platform, which will improve IoT connectivity solutions substantially across various industries globally. By embedding AI, 1NCE is enriching its platform with smarter data management capabilities and new tools integrated into the existing 1NCE OS software for AI projects. This progression underscores a shift in the telecommunications arena where service providers, like 1NCE, move beyond conventional mobile service delivery to tech-driven operations.
IoT connectivity today is an invisible backbone, seamlessly integrated and managed through APIs and enterprise fleet management solutions. This evolution focuses on optimizing data management to align with broader digital transformation projects. Strategies around local breakout, data sovereignty, and edge processing are also becoming crucial components of these offerings.
MVNOs, such as 1NCE, are blending global roaming with localized service delivery through partnerships, supporting technologies like eSIM/iSIM, and leveraging cloud-native core networks to offer comprehensive IoT solutions. Many industry players have anticipated the convergence of IoT sensing and AI, incorporating machine-learning tools for enhanced analytics in various customer scenarios.
1NCE’s approach involves a software platform-first strategy, prioritizing streamlined connectivity through a SaaS solution that spans SIM provisioning, device management, and data handling. This initiative aims to transform the complex IoT landscape into a unified experience, as evidenced by investments from industry giants Deutsche Telekom and SoftBank.
A significant aspect of this recent funding is its potential to further the convergence model 1NCE champions—integrating connectivity, software, and AI intelligence. This model mirrors efforts by companies like Eseye, EMnify, and floLIVE in the global cellular IoT ecosystem.
With approximately 24,000 customers and management of 30 million IoT devices across 170 countries, 1NCE exemplifies dynamic growth and innovation in IoT markets. The company’s recent hiring of Christoph Vilanek, former Freenet executive, as chairman of its advisory board reinforces their strategic direction.
Ivo Rook, co-chief executive at 1NCE, highlighted, “The US is our largest and fastest-growing market, and we’re expanding our American workforce to accelerate our momentum. 1NCE already delivers at an incredibly high quality with consistency and industry-defining endpoint availability of 99.97 percent. This funding further increases our ability to expand our competitive advantage across the world.”