Mobile messaging firm Nexmo has secured $3m funding in a round led by Intel Capital, and including NHN Investment Corporation and Initial Capital. Nexmo says it will use the funds to expand its suite of APIs in the cloud telecommunications space, and finalize its direct-to-carrier roll outs around the globe.
Nexmo offers a cloud-based API that enables apps to send and receive a high volume of mobile messages seamlessly around the world, at wholesale rates. The company claims that, uniquely, it enables developers and enterprises to build scalable messaging applications in the cloud without any intermediation to reach the final carrier, and that it also benefits carriers by opening up new revenue streams from b2b customers. The company added over 70 carriers contracts in the last two years and has been growing at a rate of two new carriers per week. Current clients include Airbnb, Viber and ICQ. 
“2012 was an amazing growth year for our model, and another clear validation of the importance of lean, scalable and easy to deploy messaging APIs,” said Nexmo CEO, Tony Jamous. “Ironically most of our traffic is driven by smartphone adoption. With this round of funding we will be able to further streamline the telco value chain and launch a number of new products in 2013.
