Veniam’Works set to expand WiFi networks to US cities

In the city of Porto, more than 600 buses and taxis have been transformed into WiFi hotspots, thanks to technology developed by spin-off company Veniam'Works. The technology allows buses to connect to a wireless network shared by all vehicles, as well as to the city's digital fiber optic network. Porto is now home to the largest vehicular network in the world: around 80,000 bus and taxi users have free access to their mobile devices using Veniam's WiFi; three terabytes of data are transferred monthly on the vehicular network. The technology is also being implemented in controlled spaces, such as ports and container terminals, where it offers better wireless coverage, greater security, two-way communication, and real-time data acquisition. 

In December, Veniam raised $4.9 million in venture capital, which will enable them to "expand rapidly in the US, with greater momentum," as explained by João Barros, Director and founder of Veniam. Investors are confident that Veniam's technology will enable other cities to provide the bandwidth needed for devices to connect to the Internet and to each other effectively.

Veniam's patented technology was developed at the Telecommunications Institute (IT) and the University of Aveiro as part of the CMU-Portugal Program, funded by FCT. Veniam is headquartered in California, with offices in Porto and Aveiro. Until 2016, Veniam's work was supported by projects funded by FCT and the European Commission.

For João Barros, who was also Director of the CMU-Portugal Program, the role of FCT in Veniam's success is clear: "Without FCT's continued investment in information and communication technologies, particularly through the CMU Portugal program, it would have been difficult to develop the cutting-edge solutions that Veniam markets today. FCT funding, combined with European projects and support from the QREN, enabled us to carry out the proof of concept and develop the solution from the initial ideas to the final product: a vehicle WiFi network that now has more than 80,000 users, bringing terabytes of data from the physical world to the Internet and putting the city of Porto on the map of smart cities worldwide."

Gaining market acceptance is seen as the biggest challenge. “Science and technology account for only 10% of the final product,” says João Barros, adding, “In cutting-edge technologies such as those developed by Veniam, only with strong, patient, and experienced investors can a start-up have enough muscle to withstand daily pressure and overcome barriers to market entry.”

The CMU-Portugal Program (in ICT) is one of four partnerships with US universities funded by FCT since 2006. The other three programs are the UT Austin-Portugal Program (in Emerging Technologies), the MIT-Portugal Program (in Engineering Systems), and the Harvard Medical School-Portugal Program (in Translational Research and Information). FCT support amounts to approximately €10 million per year.