Anam raises €14m
in VC round


2 Feb 2006

Irish messaging infrastructure software firm Anam Mobile has completed a €14m second-round venture capital round which it will use to accelerate the rollout of its technology to mobile operators worldwide.

The funding round was lead by Fleming Family & Partners (FF&P) Private Equity, the London-based multi-family office managing the assets of the Fleming family and other clients. Motorola Ventures, the venture arm of Motorola Inc, and Mayfair Venture Capital also participated in the round.

Founded in 1999 and based in Dublin, Anam has developed and patented a next-generation core-network messaging architecture supported by its unique Smart Services Interceptor Framework, which provides mobile operators worldwide with the ability to launch new person-to-person messaging services rapidly.

Until now it has not been possible to launch such services with existing deployed messaging architectures. Anam’s technology offers the potential to open up significant new revenue streams for mobile operators.

Anam CEO Gerry McKenna commented: “Our funding to date has been focused on building the core messaging architecture to support Smart Services.

“This technology has been deployed by 12 operators in 2005. We are seeing a strong demand for new person-to-person value-add messaging services globally and our new funding will be focused on broadening the portfolio of Smart Services that mobile operators can launch.”

Anam has appointed Gordon Galloway as chairman of its board of directors along with non-executive directors Trudi Schifter, a technology adviser to FF&P Private Equity and also former general partner of iGlobe Partners and former head of the European Office of Technology and Investment for the State of California. The company has also appointed Ian Brotherston, former international development director of BT Worldwide, and John O’Donohue of Motorola Ventures to board.

David Donnelly, CEO of FF&P Private Equity, said: “Anam has developed an interesting suite of new revenue-generating services for mobile operators. We place a particular emphasis on backing quality management and are particularly pleased to be partnering a team of this pedigree in text messaging with Motorola, Mayfair Venture Capital and Enterprise Ireland.”

By John Kennedy