BlueCava, a startup that has developed technology that enables its customers to identify unique connected devices such as smartphones, TV set-top boxes, gaming consoles, computers and more, has raised $1.5 million in debt funding according to an SEC filing.
Late last year, the company had already raised $5 million from billionaire investors such as Mark Cuban and oilman Tim Headington.
BlueCava says its device identification technology is actually about 15 years old and dates back to Australian inventor Ric Richardson, who was also the road manager for the band INXS.
Years after cooking it up in the nineties, Richardson’s idea became U.S, patent #5,490,216, and he later sued Microsoft (and many others) for infringing on his patent.
In 2009, a jury awarded Uniloc USA (which BlueCava was spun out from) $388 million excluding damages or interest in the case against the Redmond software giant.
You can read more back story here and here if you’re interested.
BlueCava says the technology can theoretically identify the 10 billion (citation needed) internet-connected devices on the planet. The identification helps its customers target advertising and combat fraud, among other use cases.
It’s a most interesting startup to keep tabs on – to give you an idea, its advisory board members include Joe Sullivan, Chief Security Officer at Facebook and Ellen Moskowitz, VP of Fraud Management Solutions at MasterCard.
BlueCava provides advanced technology that enables businesses to identify and profile the devices used by their customers to increase online advertising effectiveness, reduce fraud risk, and improve customer satisfaction. With BlueCava’s patented technology, companies can uniquely identify Internet connected devices including computers, mobile phones, set top boxes and gaming consoles, to better adapt and respond to customer needs.
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