Truphone lands $32.7 million second round

VoIP and new mobile operator Truphone has raised $32.7 million in a second round of venture capital funding. Participants included "private investors" plus all of Truephone's existing backers.

Last week, Truphone purchased SIM4travel for around $2.64 million in cash and $2.56 million in stock, allowing the company to get assets including a travel SIM capability and mobile virtual network operator assets which will allow it to offer low-cost GSM calls worldwide via SIM card. The purchase also gives the company additional leverage in settlement discussions with other mobile operators; some have argued since Truphone conducts transport over the Internet by using WiFi instead of cellular infrastructure, there's effectively no cost to terminate calls.

Truphone's first round of $24.5 million in VC funding was closed in December 2006. The company boasts of a global network of SIP gateways, Nokia Siemens Network mobile network HLR and a GSM identifier and is capable of supporting 40 million customers worldwide. According to its corporate website, Truphone has attracted "tends of thousands" of users in 149 countries.

For more:
- Truphone VC Investment [1] announcement
- GigaOm Blog Truphone Comment [2]

Related article:
TruPhone Buys SIM4Travel [3]
TruPhone demos coincide with iPhone lockdown [4]