Connectivity for the Future

With future devices consuming 72x more data by 2026 (compared to 2015), the connectivity market is facing a significant challenge: today’s solutions aren’t designed for the full-cycle connectivity and management needs of global fleets. Most companies currently in the space offer solutions that are limited to a specific industry, type of hardware, or carrier. Hologram recognizes that future devices require a more flexible connectivity platform.

It’s not a secret that Chingona Ventures is passionate about Chicago-based companies tackling important problems for substantial markets. We’re thrilled to announce our latest investment in Hologram, founded by Benjamin Forgan and Pat Wilbur.

Why We Invested in Hologram

We are excited to participate in Hologram’s Series B funding round of $65 million. The round was led by Tiger Global, with participation from Bullpen Capital, NextView Ventures, and Mucker Capital.

Hologram is the connectivity platform of the future: connect any device, to any network instantaneously from anywhere. Hologram can be used by any industry, any hardware, and with over 460 carriers, it can be connected anywhere on Earth using one single platform or system of record.

• People — Experienced team — Benjamin Forgan, CEO & Co-Founder, is an experienced entrepreneur and operator who has started and ran companies on three continents. Pat Wilbur, CTO & Co-Founder, an expert in hypervisor, a virtual machine monitor, which is software that creates and runs virtual machines. A hypervisor allows one host computer to support multiple virtual machines. Pat is an experienced Supplemental Programmer, Analytics & Sensor Networks at IBM and holds a B.S and Ph.D. in Computer Science from Clarkson University.
• Product — Connectivity-as-a-service: Hologram is a cellular connectivity platform for internet-of-things (IoT) devices that allow companies to manage fleets of devices globally. The company grew to more than 470 carriers in 200 countries and is currently trusted by thousands of businesses. Hologram can be used with any hardware and can be connected anywhere on Earth using one single platform or system of record, in nearly every vertical from healthcare to micromobility to manufacturing across six continents.
• Profit — Usage-Based Model: Hologram’s model aligns with the growth of their customers. As customers grow, the Company’s revenue grows as well.
• Potential — Exponential growth of connected devices will drive demand: With the increasing use of connected devices, for example, smartphones, it is estimated that future devices will consume significantly more data. With additional funding, the Company will significantly grow its team to more than 225+ employees and continue developing its connectivity management technology as well as expand across use-cases, including fleet & asset management and sensors.
• Portfolio — Future of Connectivity: Chingona Ventures is excited about the potential for the technology to provide more streamlined and flexible connectivity for any device to any network, instantaneously, anywhere. We’re thrilled about the future of connectivity and we’re looking forward to the growth of this partnership.