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Based in Campbell, California, Celona develops turnkey private 5G local area network systems that provide secure and reliable wireless connectivity for enterprise environments using shared cellular spectrum. The company provides integrated hardware and software infrastructure designed to support business-critical applications, Industry 4.0 operations, and industrial Internet of Things initiatives where traditional Wi-Fi networks are deemed insufficient. Celona has raised over $135 million in total venture funding across multiple financing rounds from institutional investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners and Qualcomm Ventures. The enterprise platform is utilized across the manufacturing, healthcare, and public sectors, serving as the underlying technological foundation for private network offerings from major telecommunications partners like Verizon and NTT while supporting direct corporate customers such as BMW. The organization was officially founded in April 2019 by technology executives Ravi Mulam and Vinay Anneboina.
Celona has raised $100.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Celona has raised $100.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Celona has raised $100.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $60.0M Series C in March 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2022 | $60M Series C | Alexandre Villela | NTT Venture Capital, Preface Ventures, Yousuf Khan, Stephen Garden, Cervin Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, NTTVC, Qualcomm Ventures | Announced |
| Oct 26, 2020 | $30M Series B | VAB Goel, Alexandre Villela | Cervin Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners | Announced |
| Sep 18, 2019 | $10M Series A | — | Arif Janmohamed, Matthew Howard | Announced |
Celona has raised $100.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Celona's investors include Alexandre Villela, NTT Venture Capital, Preface Ventures, Yousuf Khan, Stephen Garden, Cervin Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, NTTVC, Qualcomm Ventures, Vab Goel, Arif Janmohamed.
Celona is a Silicon Valley-based technology company specializing in enterprise private 5G wireless solutions, particularly its flagship Celona 5G LAN—a turnkey system that enables organizations to deploy and own their private mobile networks using shared cellular spectrum like CBRS.[1][2][4][5] It serves industries such as manufacturing, oil and gas, petrochemicals, retail, logistics, transportation, and more, solving Wi-Fi limitations in reliability, coverage, security, latency, and mobility for Industry 4.0 applications like industrial IoT, edge computing, and real-time automation.[1][5][6] With over $135M in funding through Series C, Celona demonstrates strong growth momentum, evidenced by partnerships with BP, NTT DATA, Palo Alto Networks, and customer testimonials highlighting near-zero downtime and superior performance over Wi-Fi.[5][6]
Celona was founded in April 2019 in Campbell, California, by a team of veterans from Qualcomm, Aruba, Cisco, and similar firms who had built products across chipsets, systems, and cloud software.[1][4][6] The idea emerged from the FCC's opening of the CBRS spectrum (3550-3700 MHz) for enterprise trials, shifting cellular from telecom operators to enterprise IT control, combined with 5G radio, edge computing, and machine learning to transform business operations.[4] Early traction came as a Series A startup backed by Lightspeed, Norwest, and Cervin—investors with networking successes like Aruba and Mist—focusing on an end-to-end platform bridging 5G and enterprise infrastructure for practical, time-sensitive apps.[4][6]
Competitors like Federated Wireless (CBRS focus) and Alef (private mobile platforms) exist, but Celona stands out for its fully consumable, Industry 4.0-optimized architecture.[1]
Celona rides the private 5G wave, capitalizing on spectrum liberalization (e.g., CBRS) and the shift from Wi-Fi/operator models to enterprise-owned networks amid Industry 4.0 demands for automation, IoT, and edge AI.[1][4][5] Timing aligns with 5G maturation and Wi-Fi shortcomings in high-density, mission-critical environments like factories and ports, where market forces—rising industrial digitalization, supply chain resilience, and 5G spectrum availability—favor rapid adoption.[2][5] It influences the ecosystem by simplifying cellular for IT teams, fostering neutral host models, and partnering with security giants, accelerating private wireless beyond telecoms into global enterprise infrastructure.[3][6]
Celona is poised for worldwide expansion with Series C fuel, targeting deeper penetration in manufacturing, energy, and logistics via enhanced global spectrum support and integrations like zero-trust security.[6] Trends like AI-driven edge computing, 5G-Advanced, and hybrid wired-wireless factories will amplify demand, potentially evolving Celona into a neutral host leader bridging public-private networks. As private 5G matures, expect Celona to redefine enterprise connectivity where Wi-Fi falls short, sustaining its pioneer edge in a market hungry for turnkey reliability.[5][6]
