iPhone TV remote maker Peel lands $16.7m, vows new platforms
updated 02:55 pm EDT, Mon May 2, 2011
Peel gets 16.7m cash to build mobile TV remote app
Peel began its week by getting a large $16.7 million round of financing. The creator of an iPhone TV remote add-on and independent iOS app planned to both get its "fruit" remote control bridge as well as expand to other platforms and more content sources. Most of the money would come from Lightspeed Venture Partners.
"Peel is the 21st century way to interface with TV," the venture capital firm's Ravi Mhatre said, noting that it both helps discover content and steer it on other devices. A fruit adapter can send input both to an expected device like the Apple TV but also cable and satellite boxes, Blu-ray players, receivers, and competing media hubs like a Roku Internet Player.
The hub is $99 and is already available at the Apple Store but has so far had little presence outside of the one online and retail chain.
