Wefi (Internet)

Wefi
Industry Wifi provider
Founded 2005
Headquarters Herndon, Virginia
Website Wefi

Wefi was a company that produced mobile software and apps that connected to free wifi and cellular networks and provided analytic services.

History

Wefi was founded in 2005 by Yossi Vardi, Amnon Kochavi, Shimon Scherzer, and Tamir Scherzer.[1] The company is based in Herndon, Virginia, and was originally named Contigo Mobility, Inc.[2] Initially it was available only for Windows before it expanded to other platforms.[3]

Wefi network

The company had developed an app that connects users to an established wifi network that is present on all continents, and that indexes the network according to location. As of 2012 Wefi provided about 114 million wifi networks across the world, and by 2013 they had 130 million. Wifi hotspots are found via an online map, which brings up the nearest hotspots to an inputted location. Users log in via either their user account or Facebook. Wefi members can add additional hotspots to the network map.[1][4][5] The app is available for both smartphones and laptops.[1]

Other software

The company also produced Wefi Pro.[5] The company also produced the User Experience Topology analytics service, used by network operators.[2]

Studies

Wefi produced studies of the hotspots on its network, and ranked different types of hotspots (such as those in hotels, cafes, or on public beaches) by their speed and connectivity. The studies covered 45 million hotspots within the Wefi network.[6][7]

Financing

In 2009 the company received series B funding,[1] totaling $7 million from Lightspeed Venture Partners and Pitango Venture Capital.[8] It also received $10 million in funding in 2012.[9]

Closure

At May 2016 WeFi ceased to exist.

Note as of August 2016 WeFi (while it has evolved from its original business model) is currently hiring, so they are not closed. http://www.wefi.com/careers

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 http://www.timesofisrael.com/wefi-uses-the-power-of-social-networks-to-get-you-online/
  2. 1 2 http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=26844620
  3. ↑ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-141253506.html
  4. ↑ http://www.pcworld.com/article/231484/wefi.html
  5. 1 2 http://www.androidcentral.com/wefi-pro-get-most-out-public-wifi-access
  6. ↑ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-3377559851.html
  7. ↑ http://www.fiercewireless.com/tech/story/report-starbucks-has-fastest-wi-fi-download-speeds-among-coffee-chains/2014-09-28
  8. ↑ http://www.crunchbase.com/funding-round/d3339782bf31ecb20dc0af5d1130eef7
  9. ↑ http://www.crunchbase.com/organization/wefi
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