Fastmobile

Fastmobile, founded in 2002 by Kang Lee, operated in the wireless communications equipment sector from its headquarters in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company specialized in providing integrated communication solutions tailored for wireless operators, portals, and handset manufacturers. Its core business involved a services platform designed to facilitate the integration of Value-Added Services (VAS) like SMS, multi-media messaging, and email. This platform enabled the mobilization of content and simplified the process of bringing multimedia into the mobile environment.

Fastmobile's business model centered on enabling the delivery of communication applications and other services such as integrated messaging, content, commerce, and social networking through a unified user interface. The company successfully raised a total of $20 million in funding over two rounds. The first was a Series A round on November 25, 2002, which raised $4 million. This was followed by a Series B round on May 16, 2005, securing an additional $12 million from a group of investors including DCM Ventures, Western Technology Investment, Walden International, and Leo Capital Holdings. After several years of operation and product development, Fastmobile was acquired by BlackBerry on November 15, 2007, marking a significant milestone for the company.

Keywords: wireless communication solutions, value-added services, mobile messaging integration, multimedia mobile environment, wireless operators, handset manufacturers, communication applications, integrated messaging, mobile content delivery, social networking interface, mobile technology, telecommunications equipment, VAS platform